Review: Gyakushu! Volume 1.
Much like Gyakushu! creator Dan Hipp, I'm more than a bit in love with the samurai movie. Unlike Hipp, I can't draw worth a damn and am incapable of coming up with anything remotely interesting in a fantasy setting. Thank goodness he's the one doing this manga-format 3-part series, huh?In Gyakushu, Hipp has created a truly interesting hybrid: a western-style fantasy epic with the trappings of the samurai film. Using the tried-and-true story template of a man who's lost his family and is seeking revenge against an entire kingdom that has done him wrong may seem like a tired retread, the sort of thing you'd find in almost any franchise novel in that one section of Barnes and Noble where they stick this sort of thing, but Hipp's inventive storytelling in both narrative construction and art choices allows the reader to find new pleasures in this stock plot. In some ways, it reminds me of a jazz player ripping down a tune to its barest bones and then playing with the arrangement to create a new piece that harkens back while moving the genre forward.
Hipp's choice to use a narrator serves the story well. Providing a greater emotional weight by directly addressing the audience and warning them of future horrors, the broken old man deepens the connection to the reader while allowing Hipp to take a few shortcuts without cheating the audience.
Hipp's character designs and use of action are, as expected, top-notch. There's a real sense of movement in the combat scenes and he's capable of letting the "camera" rest when necessary. I could quibble about the slightly-too-dear child that features in this first of three chapters, but it would just be me looking for something to dislike. All in all, the first volume of Gyakushu! energized me and had me looking forward to the rest.
Related Links
Dan Hipp's blog, featuring other reviews and many pieces of preview art.
