Samurai's Blood #2 cover image

Samurai’s Blood is a historical drama set in Japan from new publisher, Benaroya Publishing.  Created by Michael Benaroya and Owen Wiseman, this six-issue miniseries follows three young samurai from the destroyed Sanjo Clan seeking revenge on the men responsible for betraying their clan.

As Samurai’s Blood #2 begins, Jun cautions patience in their quest for revenge.  Kajiro is mightily impatient, especially after Jun’s sister, his bethrothed, Mayuko, is kidnapped.  Jun and Kajiro takes on new identities, and they meet Horitomo, a sensei who trains Kajiro to be a better fighter.

THE LOWDOWN:  One of the things that immediately stood out to me was how dense and layered the storytelling in this second issue of Samurai’s Blood was.  Between the dialogue, captions, and philosophical exposition about the way of the samurai, this issue reads like a 56-page comic book instead of a 28-page one.  Via his script and story, Owen Wiseman is determined to immerse his readers in this world, and if he fails, it won’t be for lack of information.

Artist Nam Kim is a good storyteller, and Matthew Dalton’s inking polishes some of the awkward aspects of Kim’s figure drawing.  That aside, this composition and design capture the look of an authentic jidaigeki.  I look forward to more.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for samurai drama will find a good one in Samurai’s Blood.

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