Tuesday, March 23, 2010

COMIC REVIEW: Swordsmith Assassin (BOOM! Studios)



A traditional samurai tale with a surprise twist ending. Swordsmith Assassin is a classic tale of revenge in feudal Japan. Toshiro is a Japanese sword maker that turns to making swords for a profit and selling them to anyone who has money to buy them. Toshiro’s father shames him for making swords for a profit. His family is killed early in the story. Toshiro is out for revenge. Toshiro is trained in the art of making swords not fighting with them; the sword maker is trained to become a sword master.




There really isn’t much more to tell. There is nothing new in reading this story it is like déjà vu. This story is the same anti- tragic hero tale anyone has watched, read, or have been told. The main character is shallow, Toshiro has very little background or depth to his character. This character could easily be replaced with Wolverine, Russell Crowe, or any tragic hero that swings a sword. No originality to this story.

The artwork is the only saving grace to this stale loaf of bread. The artwork is dark and gritty with shadowy overcast, a lot of earth tone colors are used in the story. The artwork surpasses what the writer is trying to convey in the story. Each frame of this book is a simple masterpiece, not to outrageous. The thin lines drawn around each person and expressions on their faces can tell more of a story. The dialogue bubbles destroy the images of art. Save your money and buy The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi.

Chip Carroll
Staff Reviewer

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