About Heroes

Author and Artist: Hiroaki Samura
Translator: Dana Lewis
Lettering and Retouch:Tomoko Saito
Publisher: Dark Horse

There are certain comics I look forward to every time they come out. Of course Astonishing X-men, Cable and Deadpool, and JSA are up there now. But one constant title that I get really excited about is Blade of the Immortal. Even at a time when I wasn’t buying comics, I would still buy my trades of Blade of the Immortal. Now Hiroaki Samura’s masterpiece is still a very unique manga. For example it is the only manga that is still being published in monthly format by Dark Horse. Samura requested that the publisher of the licensed English translation, Dark Horse Comics, not "flop" the manga (, reverse the pages as if in a mirror). This keeps the image true to the original and it still reads from left to right. A lot of manga readers have problems with the prices on these trades, but is it worth the price? Every damn penny!

In all reality Volume 15: Trickster is the aftermath of the last story arc and serves as a transition for the surviving characters to begin their new paths that will ultimately collide once again. It starts off with Rin getting captured yet again and a series of random battles that really amount to very little. Other than to serve as action sequences that open up the next arc. Giichi and Manji join forces and Manji’s immortality is tested by Bangashira Habaki Kagimura. There were some nice down time after all the battles with both Manji and Rin in their own comfort zones. Of course the title says it all, because the audience was only tricked into that false sense of security by the time the ending comes around. It was really good to see Makie back in the series and hopefully we will get to see her back in action again.

It felt very strange reading the 16th volume of Blade: Shortcuts, because you get used to the in your face action. This time it felt like I was watching a demented episode of CSI or Quincy (yeah I used to watch that show!) Even without the action, there is still plenty of gore in the form of an autopsy and study of Manji’s body. I would have to say that this particular volume has hit the peak as far as being one of the most grueling sequences in this series goes. Kagimura has hired two medical examiners to discover the secret of immortality of Manji’s body. He wants them to find a way to pass it on to other warriors, because if they don’t he has promised them death. Manji goes through some pretty intense torture and even getting one of his hands replaced by another man’s hand. Meanwhile Rin is still playing hostess to two very odd couple, but what their true intentions have not shown yet.

On the Perfection of Anatomy is the title given to the 17th volume of the series. It continues the study of Manji. With only doctor Burando left to keep cutting pieces of Manji and attaching them to death row felons. By the end of the book Burando has gone through more than eight patients have died trying to reach immortality. Burando finally snaps and saves the final patient from getting his limbs chopped. Habaki Kagimura sends him to prison for life. Meanwhile in the search for Manji; Rin and Hyakurin find Giichi, who is now a remorseful drunk, mourning the death of his son. It’s quite a cliffhanger that Samura leaves us with. Hopefully we won’t have to wait more than 6 months to find out what happens to our beloved cast.

I can’t go on enough about Hiroaki Samura's artwork; it is one of the more distinguishable styles in all of manga or comics in general. His thin pencil work is scrupulous, punctual, yet raw, creating character designs with a lot of depth and some great kinetic action sequences. Even when action is not displayed, the backgrounds are nicely detailed and very clean. Samura sure knows how to compose an action sequence as well, with each strike and slash clear and concise. His splash pages with the whitewash added to them leave me in awe every time. How can someone draw something so destructive, yet so beautiful? At times it can be a bit confusing to tell what is going on, but that is just a small gripe. I get my Blade kick in tpb format and waiting for another installment always leaves me deprived. A If you haven’t checked out this series, hell give it a shot. It reads from left to right so there is no reason for you to be scared.