Good day, folks. We're back again, this time to offer a helping hand to the comic-book curious. I've gone ahead and taken the liberty of compiling a modest list of review sites for those looking to either dip a toe into the choppy waters of the comic world or take a massive leap of faith, cannonball style, right into the open maw. You're welcome: No. 5 Bleeding Cool First on the list is Bleeding Cool, which gets extra brownie points for having a cool name. The site covers comics, TV, film, and even wrestling, with its comic section being particularly impressive. While a little cluttered for my taste, the articles have eye-catching titles and visuals, providing not only informative coverage of select titles but also interesting opinions on the world of comics as a whole. As good a starting point as any. No. 4 iFanboy iFanboy comes in 4th spot, and beats out Bleeding Cool with a site more focused and dedicated to comic books. They also bring cool podcasts and a T-shirt...
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Vagabond is an enthralling and visually stunning manga from the beautiful mind of Takehiko Inoue and inserts itself as yet another stellar medium for representing Japan’s proud history and culture. The unassuming title houses a thoughtful biopic of one, if not the greatest swordsman in the nation's history. The name, Miyamoto Mushashi, should ring with a slight degree of familiarity given his immortalization into popular culture, as well as his contribution to military strategy in his magnum opus, The Book of Five Rings. However, if none of these ring a bell for newcomers, then Vagabond will serve as a great introduction to one of the genuine exemplars of the martial way.
Born as Shinmen Takezo to an otherwise uncaring and unnurturing family life, Takezo would find mother nature to be a suitable stand-in for an uninterested father and neglectful mother. Indeed, the harsh landscape of the mountains would steele Takezo against the hardships of life to come, and he would eventually grow into an adult tasked with finding meaning for his life beyond the family and clan. After he and a childhood friend survive a bloody battle, the two would set out to make a name for themselves as Ronins - masterless samurai committed to mastering the way of the sword, with Takezo standing out to be more physically and mentally up for the task.
The eventual return to his home village would not provide him with a hero’s welcome, or any welcome for that matter but would instead be the appropriate starting point for a rebirth into a life that was injected with a newfound purpose. Naming himself after the very village that had scorned his existence, the newly christened, Miyamoto Mushashi, would travel from one town to the next to test his strength against the best that his country had to offer. Vagabond thus invites readers on a journey of self-discovery that encourages perseverance through hardship, and the dogged determination to be more than what one is.
An impressive addition to an otherwise modest resume, Takehiko Inoue is certainly an artist who appears to place quality over quantity. While manga has a small learning curve given that the stories are read from right to left, it is well worth the effort to be rewarded with intricate storytelling and unrivaled artistic depth. The use of black and white in this and similar titles, penetrates directly to the heart and soul of the piece, providing a richly diverse reading experience that regular comics may not always provide. Vagabond thus positions itself as both a visual feast and an engrossing representation of the swordsman's journey that deserves a spot on any and every collector's shelf.
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