Review - Shinku #2

The Japanese Blade returns in the latest issue of Shinku. Created by Ron Marz with Lee Moder as the artist and a talented team Matthew Waite, Michael Atiyeh and Troy Peteri rounding out the colors and lettering, Image Comics continues this tale of the last surviving member of the Tadataka Samurai Clan as she attempts to exact her revenge on the Yagnu Clan of Vampires for wiping out her ancestors hundreds of years ago.

For reasons still unknown Shinku has recruited an American named Davis Quinn who she is now slowing informing about the purpose of the Samurai and the history of this ancient conflict. Much about this series is still a mystery and this issue does little to change that, but it does give some hints about what may be coming around the corner.

In this issue Shinku takes her fight straight to the Daimyo of the Yagnu Clan, Asano! Apparently, as all evil immortal villains end up doing, the Yagnu clan is now a corporate conglomerate. Previously Shinku had been largely written off as she had only targeted small time members of the Clan, but she is growing bolder.

This can be seen immediately when she storms what appears to be a board meeting to challenge the Daimyo himself! He's not afraid, however, and I’m sure head on at this point Shinku would be no match for the ancient warlord. I’m also pretty sure the older vampires get the stronger they seem to be. That's what Hollywood has taught me anyway.

It turns out that Shinku was there for a specific purpose and she escapes after accomplishing this to fight another day. To maintain that medieval flare we are treated to flashbacks throughout the book explaining what Shinku was taught a samurai was. She explains her path and indicates that poor Davis – an American in a foreign country with no real idea what's going on – is also going to walk that path.

The issue has the requisite about of blood and vampires getting slashed down for any fan of a little violence and also continues to prove that being a prostitute when vampires are around is a BAD idea. I’m not sure anyone needed to indicate that explicitly, it seems like it should be common sense for the most part.

I’m worried that the storyline is going in a direction that I’ve seen before numerous times in vampire tales but I have faith in Marz to throw in some twists that will keep this series fresh and hopefully not ordinary.

Shinku is as mysterious and deadly as ever, and continued solid work on the art with fast paced and bloody battles keep the entertainment level up. Perhaps in the next issue we’ll learn a little bit more about what Shinku has in store for Davis, and how she plans to unseat a powerhouse in Asano that has been in control for almost half a millennia.

I can’t wait to find out. Shinku #2 should hit stores this week, right alongside the second printing of Shinku #1. Keep your eyes open when you hit up your stores for new titles and check out the interiors below!