Scan barcode
A review by aquavenatus
Chronin Volume 1: The Knife at Your Back by Benjamin A. Wilgus
4.0
The volume of this new series about the cautions surrounding time travel should not be missed by readers and fans of both graphic novels and manga. Alison Wilgus presents an excellent story in "Chronin: Volume 1: The Knife at Your Back." Anyone who enjoys reading about anything Japanese should read this book.
After the introduction, the story goes on to follow a samurai who doesn't behave like a samurai. Given the era and the circumstances, Minoru Yoshida manages to blend into Edo, Japan in 1864. When he is approached by a local woman to be a bodyguard during a brief journey, he accepts not realizing that all of his secrets will be revealed.
Readers will enjoy the blend of the two art styles, Eastern and Western, the author uses throughout this series. While this type of story has been told before, the gender bending and the culture of the time eras are what drive the narrative more than the cliched "stuck in the past with no way to get home" storyline readers have gotten used to. Yet, readers will enjoy this book because it's the first in a series, and they will crave the next volume.
Alison Wilgus provides a different narrative in this historical fiction comic, but there will be just as much emphasis on the culture and the events of the past as there will be on the characters we meet throughout the narrative. If the story doesn't capture your attention, then the artwork will. I hope the author sticks with the way she tells the story because I'm already looking forward to the next one, and I don't want to be disappointed.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
After the introduction, the story goes on to follow a samurai who doesn't behave like a samurai. Given the era and the circumstances, Minoru Yoshida manages to blend into Edo, Japan in 1864. When he is approached by a local woman to be a bodyguard during a brief journey, he accepts not realizing that all of his secrets will be revealed.
Readers will enjoy the blend of the two art styles, Eastern and Western, the author uses throughout this series. While this type of story has been told before, the gender bending and the culture of the time eras are what drive the narrative more than the cliched "stuck in the past with no way to get home" storyline readers have gotten used to. Yet, readers will enjoy this book because it's the first in a series, and they will crave the next volume.
Alison Wilgus provides a different narrative in this historical fiction comic, but there will be just as much emphasis on the culture and the events of the past as there will be on the characters we meet throughout the narrative. If the story doesn't capture your attention, then the artwork will. I hope the author sticks with the way she tells the story because I'm already looking forward to the next one, and I don't want to be disappointed.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.