Kouseki: First Insight #1

Posted: Tuesday, April 30, 2002
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Kouseki: First Insight #1 Writer(s): Jacqui More and Victor Aviles (Story) Tim Edstrom (Script)
Artist(s): Erufan Fajar (artist), Erfin Infinitar (Asst. Artist)
Publishers: Insomniac Machine
From: USA
Price: $1.00ppd (US) / $2:00ppd (CAN)

Ever since I saw the Shogun mini series on TV as a kid I've been hooked on Samurai daring do, so I was more than pleased to have received this comic, especially as it has visual style in abundance. Erufan Fajar and Erfin Infinitar's interior artwork is a pleasure to look at in both the work they put in and the care taken with the reproduction. They use a pallet of black and blue-grey, giving a range of shading that is exploited to its full potential with bold line work and misty hazes using a range of techniques including ink sprays and washes. The drawing style has a distinct Manga influence in the facial features of the characters. The costume design is impressive, as is the energetic action that reminds me of some of Simon Bisley's work on 2000AD's Slain stories.

Narrative wise, some bad guys are attacking a town, killing all opposition that they face. The local Emperor decides he can't stay up in his residence while his subjects and soldiers die, so he dons his armour and joins the action. Things don't go well and soon his son is facing the leader of the invaders.

This is an action comic, so the dialogue is earnest, pompous, punctuated with grunts, and the occasional sound effect as blade meets bone. The evil guys go on about painless deaths, challenges and a bunch of mystic stuff. Someone should chop there head off, and the Emperor's son seems to be the chap to do it, I hope Fajar and Infinitar are people illustrating it, and perhaps next time they won't be down the end of the credits. Editors are okay, but listing them before the artists just don't seem right.

In a Word: Honourable.



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