This outlandish yarn enters its midpoint, but is there enough here to garner attention? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

VAMPIRES IN FEUDAL JAPAN!

Kichiro is an outsider in feudal Japan. Lacking the Japanese blood that would allow him to become a samurai, Kichiro must fulfill his dreams of serving the shogun in a less traditional manner… by eliminating every foreign supernatural threat that rears its fangs!

Truth be told, this has been an interesting undertaking and to the creative team’s credit they’ve taken very different genres and blended them together in a way that’s more than functional.  From the first page to the final panel, the atmosphere they’ve crafted succeeds in building a believable world that’s only plagued by the presence of predictability as this adventure raises its stakes.

Rob Levin pens the script and the scribe does a wonderful job moving the varying pieces forward.  At this point the characters have already been set, and their motivations thoroughly explored.  So much so that he now gets to play with the toys he’s crafted. The result is an extension that follows an obvious narrative path but still yields an enjoyable romp.  The cliffhanger is solid and the pacing is commendable but I do wish there would have been a bit more bravery in regards to the story development.  In the end what we get is an engaging journey that justifies a look but ultimately lacks the bold bite the concept needs.

I was thoroughly impressed by the work done by Jessada Sutthi.  The art is immaculate, as a sea of vibrant color and dynamic shape gives birth to a rendition that at times goes beyond photo-realism.  The designs and machinations of the talent uplift the narrative to a lofty level that embraces the Samurai as well as the Vampire in a way that complements both storied creatures.  In short: the illustrator takes the bullet points he’s given and absolutely runs with it.

Bushido #3 is truly a really good comic book that stumbles a bit along its way, but nonetheless manages to still earns my recommendation.

3.5/5