BUSHIDO #1 Review - An Age of Samurai and Vampires

Written by: Rob Levin

Drawn by: Jessada Sutthi

Vampires are today’s zombies, as they seem to be in everything. However, this fact does not mean that they can’t still be used to great effect; it just has to be in the right context.

So far Bushido seems to be on the right track.

Bushido is the story of a young man named Kichiro who is trying to survive in a world occupied by Samurai and Pirates who happen to be a bit deadlier than the bearded peg-leg wearers of stories past. These pirates have teeth, sharp ones actually, and Kichiro’s first contact with them sets the stage for issue 1 as well as the rest of the series.

At its core, the book is about a young boy becoming a man, and as in real life this transition is never easy, but especially so for Kichiro, who on top of a jealous brother and a girlfriend being forced into marriage, also has to worry about a band of Pirates who wear a constant lather of spf 50. I’ve always had a soft spot for Samurai, and Bushido blends supernatural elements into a traditional Samurai tale quite nicely.

Illustrating this tale is Jessada Sutthi of Studio Hive, and good lord is the art gorgeous. Almost every panel pops with sharp lines and beautiful background work, with a piercing palette of blue, orange, and bronze allowing the environment to be a character in itself. The art makes up a bit for the lack of surprises in this first issue, but Rob Levin has laid a solid foundation for Kichiro, though at issue’s end it looks like his supporting cast might need a bit of new blood (sorry, sorry, won’t happen again).

So far, Bushido is definitely worth a look, especially if you’re looking for an alternative to the bevy of superhero comics. It just needs some cast development and a few more surprises along the way to really contend. See you next week for issue 2, and if you're interested, you can head to Top Cow's page to get a 5 page preview.