This five week event draws to a close just in time for Halloween, but did it end on a high note?  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!

As this mini-series reaches its final blood thirsty beats, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed by what I witnessed.  The creative team built up a narrative and a world that featured a main character that was worth rooting for, but in the end they crafted something that might just be the coolest aspect of the burgeoning property.

Rob Levin deserves serious praise for what’s found here.  He created concrete players and a fitting world that allowed the protagonists to go beyond their initial archetypes.  He brings life into this affair as the world he created is changed by conflict, and its fought within the confines of these pages.  The bulk of the tale however felt like a dogmatic odyssey that left me a bit underwhelmed.  The author crafted a few sequences that were not bad, I just wanted them to push our cast harder.  That said, by the final moments I found myself instantly excited for the future of the title, if there might be one.

The art by Jessada Sutthi does what its done for the entire length of this yarn. He blends the way of the samurai with that of the ferocity of the vampire by highlighting the strengths of both, previously exclusive, genres.  To say that I was impressed by the final illustrations is an understatement, but there were instances where panels and characters lost a bit too much detail in their translation as a series inconsistent strokes brought the innate visual strength into question.

Bushido #5 proves the mantle of its ideas as the creative team brings this release in for a solid landing.  Recommended.

3.5/5