Story and Art by Samura Hiroaki
Translation by Dana Lewis and Toren Smith
Copyright © Samura Hiroaki

Dark Horse has a reputation for publishing comics that are "different," so it should come as no surprise that they chose to publish this title. While there is nothing really "new" about samurai manga in general, this story manages to be at once familiar and yet keep the reader guessing.
Manji is a samurai warrior who has been cursed with immortality. He cannot die, even if mortally wounded. This is the result of the Kessen-chu, wormlike creatures that infest his bodies. According to the manga itself, "When their hosts are injured, they give up their lives to seal the wound. Their bodies substitute for what has been destroyed." In other words, the worms "plug up the holes" and keep the hosts alive. So far, there are only several people in the series who have this unique quality.
Manji has hooked up with Rin, the daughter of a dojo master who was murdered by the evil Itto-Ryu, a group of warriors struggling for power. While he thinks of her as a child, she has proven herself a capable companion. Her concern for Manji is mirrored by his own for her, and together they try to survive all the difficulties life—and the Itto-Ryu—throw at them. Rin wants revenge against those who killed her family, and Manji is willing to help.
This graphic novel collects issues seven through eleven of the original comic release. Within these pages are the story of a sword that belonged to Rin's father, and another Immortal who is out to kill Manji. There's a lot of story packed into these pages, so readers may find they need some time to acclimate themselves to the story and characters of BLADE, but most will find it time well spent.
The dialog is a strange blend of more traditional dialog and what might be described as contemporary street slang. According to the translators, this reflects the author's original phrasing of the dialog. This, however, hardly seems noticeable as the reader becomes more interested in Manji and Rin's situation.
The art style is unique in recent manga. Instead of crisp, clean, polished inked pages, Samura's art style is more "sketchy." He also avoids the use of things like ziptone, instead preferring to do the shading on all of his panels with crosshatches and other traditional pen and ink methods. However, this doesn't mean that the art is not detailed—far from it. The rough feel of the art adds to the atmosphere of the story, and helps to create a gritty feel. Battle sequences are especially heightened by this technique, although sometimes it seems to be a little difficult to tell what exactly is happening. Still, this seems to be an intentional part of the author's technique.
In addition, the art isn't mirror-imaged like most translated manga. Since the author requested that it not be flipped, Dark Horse has been tasked with using the "cut and paste" method of reversing the manga into the Western format. Sometimes this leads to some confusing page flows, but with a little practice, it can be easily overcome.
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL is one of the most unique manga that I have read in a long time. The intriguing story and unique art style create a manga that rivals anything by Otomo or Shirow for complexity and individuality.

English version published in N. America by Dark Horse Comics
Vol 2 (3 volumes released, ongoing)
black/white pages
ISBN 1-56971-300-6
$12.95
Available now in the USA
Where to buy