Review: Samurai Brothers In Arms #1
Takeo and Akio are finally reunited! Both men took very different paths in life and are totally different from one another. They both set out to Osaka together to try and discover the truth about Takeo’s tattoo. Akio’s antics could prove to be dangerous for his little brother. Akio goads Takeo into a fight with a Yakuza warrior with the Chozaburo gang. Could Akio have caused his brother to bite off a little more than he could chew?
The Creative Team:
Di Giorgio brings us
two very different siblings, both were raised in different surroundings and have different outlooks on life. These aren’t just two-dimensional cartoon characters; they are very realistically portrayed. Akio pushes Takeo into a fight with a Yakuza martial arts student named Ikaru. After defeating the Yakuza, Takeo must now take on the head of the Yakuza gang. Since it’s late, they set up a later time and date for the fight.
Genet’s art is terrific and brings a certain elegance to the characters and their background. His Akio is always in a jovial mood and his sharp contrast to his “baby brother” makes the issue worth reading. Takeo’s irritation with his brother’s indifference to almost everything in their path makes for good comic relief and his background of a primitive Japanese culture in Osaka is a delight, it’s like he’s brought us into an entire new world and the atmosphere is breath taking.
The Cover:
Cover A is a dramatic battle between two Samurai that draws the comic store surfer into this world even if they aren’t martial arts fans. They will still appreciate the adventurous feel and tension between the characters. The depiction fits the feel of the story and should bring new readers into the fold.
In Conclusion:
Issue one brings us a compelling read of clashing Samurai cultures. On page one we witness one army ready to go into battle. Tanabe, however, wants to take advantage of another Samurai mistress before departing. A secret meeting of the leaders reveals that Lord Yokusai has decided to name one of his men to lead the order without consulting the other leaders of the gang, causing strife and tension among the leaders. It’s at this point that Takeo and Akio arrive and Akio goads his brother to fight one of the Chozaburo Yakuza students. After the battle Takeo goes fishing by himself, probably to get away from his devil-may-care brother. By the end of this issue Takeo meets another mysterious woman whom he thinks has ulterior motives, but does she? To be continued! A fine read and I can’t wait for the next issue! ****
Samurai Brothers In Arms #1
Writer: Jean Francois Di Giorgio
Art: Frederic Genet
Colors: Delphine Rieu
Letters: Cat Connery
Publisher: Titan Comics
Publication date: October 2016
Synopsis:
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
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