I'm more of a fan of Iron Monkey than Crouching Tiger, but that doesn't mean I didn't find something to enjoy in the beautifully choreographed martial arts romance movie that created quite a stir a few years ago. So I was curious about the comics, if not particularly predisposed to seek them out. Having read this first volume, it reads like a lot of Comicsone's output in the martial arts genre, which is to say it has beautiful artwork and a story that borders on indecipherable for me. Crouching Tiger is clearer than most, with a trim cast and a fairly "Western" central plot about impossible romance and revenge, and as the book neared its end I found myself more interested, but some clunky writing and a scattered plot made it a difficult read at first.
When I first started reading Stan Lee comics with more of a critical eye, one of the first things that jumped out at me was that he would often describe action that was perfectly clear on the page. That happens throughout the first chapter of Crouching Tiger, and I'm not sure if the blame lies with one of the three authors or the translators. At any rate, though, it's distracting to read "two ominous figures leap from roof to roof" while the artwork shows two ominous figures leaping roof to roof, and it quickly puts the reader into a frame of mind that they should just look at the artwork instead of reading the seemingly superfluous captions.
Which is a shame, because as the story moves on, the writing becomes more important. The opening sequence, an action sequence without context, is flashy but doesn't overtly connect to the main story of this volume. One can work out the connection when we see Lu Mu Bai with the sword, but a little more clarity early on would have gone a long way. The later parts of the story, which are less about action and more about character develop, resonate much stronger. In particular, the book comes alive about halfway through when Lu Mu Bai comes into the picture. His mixture of skill, nobility and a tragic air carries through in Seto's artwork and the script, and had the potential romance between Lu Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien been introduced earlier, I would have been much more interested in the story.
Though the artwork is often accompanied by captions that describe what's going on, it rarely needs it. Seto's artwork is clear, energetic and absolutely gorgeous. He is especially good at capturing the feeling of lighter-than-air movement which captured the attention of movie audiences on Crouching Tiger. The first shot of Yu Shu Lien flipping, cutting and gliding through the trees is a powerful introduction to the character, almost as powerful as the introduction of Lu Mu Bai, whose surroundings of water and steam and utter calm make the nature of the character so clear.
Like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon the film, this comic holds images of absolute beauty and stunning, imaginative action sequences. Also like the film, it has a story which I found a little uneven, with compelling characters and an intriguing plot meeting up with pacing problems and cultural differences that made the read harder for me. Those with a deeper interest in the Chinese culture of this era or a stronger connection to the movie will definitely enjoy it more, but I did find some compelling characters and story here.
