In today’s rapidly changing comics industry, two universal truths remain. The first is that Dog Man is the defining comic of our time. The second is that more people are reading manga and webtoons (vertical scrolling comics) than ever before. That’s why we at Comics Beat have decided to embark on a new adventure: Beat’s Bizarre Adventures. Every other week, three authors will recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea, and other countries. This week, it’s a classic revenge tale written by a star of the comics world, an unusual take on Wolverine, and of course, BL with an older man in the lead role.
Lady Snowblood
Writer: Kazuo Koike
Artist: Kazuo Uemura
Translated by: Naomi Kokubo
Lettering: Studio Cutie
Editor: Tim Irvin
Publisher: Dark Horse
If ever there was a manga destined to be the basis for a classic grindhouse action movie, it would be Kazuo Koike and Kazuo Uemura’s Yukihime. It’s one of the most violent and sexually exploitative mangas ever made, explicitly for adults (it was published in Japan’s equivalent of Playboy). Thankfully, Yukihime features a fully-formed protagonist who is cunning and ruthless for very human reasons. It may be a brutal series, but it’s not devoid of humanity.
Our heroine’s origins are almost folk tale-like. Born in a prison, Yuki vows to take revenge on the men who ruined her mother’s life. She endures hellish training under Buddhist monks to become the ultimate killing machine. After completing her training, she wanders Meiji-era Japan, taking on contract killers and other missions in the hopes of luring out these monsters.
Anyone who reads Yukihime after Koike’s legendary manga Lone Wolf and Cub, which he co-authored with Kojima Goseki, will be in for a shock. While Kojima’s style favored realism and thick, intense, expressive brushstrokes, artist Kazuo Uemura is the complete opposite. His work in Yukihime favors simpler depictions and high-contrast black and white. As a result, the violence, sex, and sexual violence in this manga feel even more shocking today.
Uemura portrays Yuki with a constant blank look, as if she is not filled with any desire for revenge. This expression is brought to life by actress Meiko Kaji, who played the character in the live-action film (and throughout her career). The character is aware that she is a weapon, not just the proverbial sword hidden in the handle of her umbrella. Her beauty is as deadly as any blade, and she will use any means necessary to complete her mission.
The two live-action films may be better known today than the manga that inspired them. Actress Kaji Meiko’s look inspired actress Lucy Liu’s character in the first Kill Bill movie. But the manga itself is also not to be missed. It’s a samurai manga written by Koike Kazuo, featuring a female protagonist who’s just as ruthless as her male counterparts, and series artist Uemura Kazuo constructs action sequences that no one else can match. The manga may be short, but it’s as brutally effective and unforgettable as its protagonist. — D. Morris
Wolverine: Snikt!
Author/Artist: Tsutomu Nihei
Color list: Guru-eFX
Lettering: Cory Petit
Publisher: VIZ; formerly MARVEL
Marvel has tried to bridge the gap with the manga market in the past, but without much success. In fact, much of that time was incredibly complicated. But there was one silver lining: in 2003, Marvel, as part of their TSUNAMI imprint, hired legendary manga artist Tsutomu Nihei (Knights of Sidonia, BLAME!) to take on Wolverine in a limited series titled SNIKT!. The series takes Logan to a future where humanity has been nearly wiped out by a creature called the Mandate. The Mandate has the ability to regenerate, allowing them to adapt their bodies to whatever they need to survive. The only thing that can kill them is adamantium.
SNIKT! is straightforward and fast-paced, but Nihei, whose work is always beautiful, has so many cool moments, and the Mandate’s design is grotesque and creepy. This book is fun. Logan, dressed in a leather suit from the then-current New X-Men series, is both badass and thoughtful. Wolverine is the best at what he does, but only because he’s a hero and a good guy.
The other characters introduced in this book, Fusa and her fellow survivors, are very interesting. We don’t get to know much about each of them, but their designs are so well done that it’s hard not to be drawn to them. There was even a moment towards the end that reminded me of the famous ending scene of Mobile Suit Gundam. I don’t know if it was intentional, but I was glad to see it anyway.
This book is pretty faithful to the rule of cool, but that’s fine. It’s also a good story that doesn’t take too long to read, but I wish Marvel had given Tsutomu Nihei the keys to their other characters. Personally, I think Tsutomu Nihei’s Ghost Rider series is great.
VIZ recently re-released this story in both print and app. Check it out! — Derrick Crow
Midnight Rain
Writer/Artist: CTK
Translated by Adrian Beck
Touch-up art and lettering: Deborah Fisher
Publisher: SuBLime
Ethan is struggling to get by in a rundown apartment in a crime-ridden neighborhood. He has three years left to pay off his debt. One night, while sipping his coffee, he sees a man being beaten across the street by a thug, and it doesn’t faze him. But the next day, he bumps into the same man at the laundromat. The first thing Ethan blurts out? Asks how to get a blood stain out of his white shirt!
Those who know me, online or otherwise, are probably already aware of my obsession with older men in BL. I don’t know why it took me so long to read Midnight Rain, CTK’s first English-language boys’ love work, but I’m glad I did. (CTK also has a vertical scrolling comic called Coffin Jackson on WEBTOON.)
What’s most striking about Midnight Rain is its depiction of the aftermath of chronic loneliness. Both Ethan and his new “friend” Mike live difficult lives with no one to turn to. Though their situations are similar, Ethan’s and Mike’s loneliness manifests in different ways. I would have liked to know more about Mike’s past and see more of their daily lives after the story’s resolution, but that’s simply because I liked the characters and their relationships.
Midnight Rain is a well-crafted, moving and bittersweet one-volume manga. The male protagonists meet each other and choose to stay together no matter what difficulties life throws at them. The intimacy and tension of the sex scenes bring the characters to life, proving once again CTK’s ability to portray expressive faces and bodies. Read this series to encourage publishers to provide more BL with clingy older men as protagonists. — Merve Jirey
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