More blood must flow.
Creative Staff:
Story: Sebastian Girner
Art: John Bivens
Colors: Iris Monahan
Letterer: Jeff Powell
What They Say:
Grim Ketsuko and bumbling Fubei have agreed to lead the arrogant ronin through the woods and over the mountain. But death walks freely in the night, as the dishonored samurai are stalked by shadows of the Black Tongue ninja–and a devil who walks among them.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The opening installment of this series was one that I liked a lot but struggled with some of the narrative flow since it wanted to go back and forth and introduce a twist that was obvious from early on. It just kept it from flowing smoothly in a way that was frustrating. Thankfully, Sebastian Girner handles the second issue a lot better when it comes to this as it’s pure flashbacks and not starting off the issue and that makes it easier to get into. It also doesn’t hurt that John Biven is operating at a fantastic level here with the detail of it all and just the movement and choreography of the fight. There are no clean moments here, in a sense, and it has all the grime and roughness that would make up events in this time and place with these characters. That goes a long way toward making it connect really well.
In the present period, we see how Fubei is leading her and the others through the woods toward their destination that will pit them against the Kamimura. That’s going to take al little time yet but what we get here is engaging as they fill in some details with the group that the women have been brought into before things turn grim upon finding one of their own dead. The woods is pretty much tengu territory here and the bandits that dress as that flock down hard on them from above and the sides, making for a strikingly beautiful sequence. It’s a pitched battle to be sure, showing that those seeking revenge are struggling a bit, here, and it allows for Ketsuko to really showcase what she’s capable of. Which is definitely giving the men cause to pause for just a moment as she’s seemingly become a whole lot more dangerous.
The flashback side doesn’t take us to much in the way of new territory at first, going over more the deal that Ketsuko made with her brother in taking on the mask and going into the field of battle herself while pretending to be him. Her skill is impressive even at this stage and seeing her run roughshod over the battlefield, but also get taken down a few notches while facing one of the big bads of Kamimura, it definitely looks and feels great. We get to see that there’s something more to this Kamimura as he’s got some horns and talks of being approached by things from the dark side of the world to be given power and it has me curious just how far down that dark path that the series will go. It adds a layer of mystique and curiosity though and you can see why some would utilize it as a method to increase their reputation.
In Summary:
Smoothing away most of the problems I had with the first issue, the second installment here is a stronger read overall and makes for a more engaging story. The pieces feel more distinct at this point and the way they all come together to tell the two separate yet connected stories in past and present ups the interest level. I really like seeing what Ketsuko is capable of her and that she’s taking quite the beating at times but still standing, while also enjoying what Fubei brings to the page while wondering if she may truly be something else by the end. Good stuff all around and this really scratches a particular itch that will make some readers into huge fans.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 12+
Released By: Vault Comics
Release Date: November 18th, 2020
MSRP: $3.99
