Legend of the Shadow Clan #1 Review


The latest series from the late/great Michael Turner‘s independent comic book company is here, but is it really worth your time?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

Meet the Arashi family. They are like any other family living in the city: kids in school, parents working to make ends meet. But unbeknownst to even them, their ancestors held a dark secret: they were a clan of ninja in feudal Japan, in the employ of a prominent leader. But when that leader was murdered under mysterious circumstances, the Arashi Clan was blamed, and forced to flee, going into hiding. Over the centuries, the descendants lost track of the ancient ways. They came to America, abandoning their sordid past to distant memory. However, recently, their secret has been discovered–their ancient enemy has returned, and won’t rest until every member of the Arashi clan is killed. Now, the Arashi family must rediscover their long-forgotten birthright if they hope to have any chance of surviving the onslaught to come, and along the way, they will learn the LEGEND OF THE SHADOWCLAN.

I’ll be honest when I cracked open this comic book I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I had a notion that it would be entertaining at the very least but I didn’t expect this level of quality.

David Wohl hits the ground running as he introduces the audience to two distinct concepts, an average American family and a modern day ninja clan.  If that sounds interesting to you on any level than this tale is right up your alley.  Following that balancing act the series writer brilliantly nails the correct dialogue to bring about a unique level of authenticity.  His work as a whole simply uplifts this exciting little jaunt despite birthing a few scenes with an overabundance of text.

The art by Cory Smith is well suited to the narrative, as he seamlessly breathes life to this new world.  Each proverbial pencil stroke extenuates the interactions while illuminating the story’s trajectory creating a visceral visual dance that will captivate the audience from beginning to end. There were a few times where features seemed somewhat misshapen but thankfully these instances were few and far between.

Legend of the Shadow Clan #1 is a stellar first issue that easily earns a recommendation.

4/5

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