Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: Love and Death
Script by: Ron Marz
Art by: Luke Ross
Colored by: Jason Keith
Lettered by: Dave Lanphear
Editor: Dave Land
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Costume epics seem to be the film of choice when it comes time for the Academy Awards each year. While the film world is always inundated with historical costume dramas, the comic world is swamped with the costumes of superheroes. CrossGen’s slow demise took away some of the industry’s more high profile non-superhero comics. Thankfully a variety of publishers are increasingly taking up the slack that CrossGen left.
This past week’s debut of Samurai: Heaven and Earth from Dark Horse Comics featuring ex-CrossGen alums, Ron Marz and Luke Ross, is one of the most enjoyable recent launches.
The series begins in Japan’s Kaga province circa 1704. Chinese barbarians are, quite literally, at the gates of Tokudaiji’s castle. Ron Marz quickly immerses us in the honorable world of Tokudaiji and his loyal men. It’s apparent that Tokudaiji is a good man, and his people will follow him anywhere”¦including death. Tokudaiji’s people have one final night before the forces of Warlord Hsiao, which greatly outnumber Tokudaiji’s people, come calling.
Before the morning arrives Marz focuses on the life of one man, Shiro, and his last night of love with Lady Yoshiko. During the sequence, Shiro speaks one of the most beautiful lines ever written in comics: “Whatever our fate is to be tomorrow, I will allow nothing in Heaven or on Earth to come between us. We will be together, Yoshiko. If not in life, then in death.“ This is a comic romance built into an epic storyline that is both well executed and believable.
As the morning comes the real battle begins and ends. By a quirk of fate Shiro survives, and learns that Yoshiko was captured by Warlord Hsiao. The night before Shiro assumed he and Yoshiko would be together in death the next day. Unfortunately, they are both alive, but separated. Ron Marz promises to bring us on a world spanning adventure as Shiro searches for Yoshiko in the next four issues. With this stunning debut, I’m thrilled to follow as Mr. Marz takes us globetrotting in the 18th century.
If the quick story synopsis doesn’t sell you on this title, then take one look at Luke Ross’s artwork and you’ll have no choice but to buy Samurai: Heaven and Earth #1. The characters, the costumes, the locations, and the sheer scale of everything are absolutely eye-popping. This is one of the best illustrated single issues that I’ve seen all year.
