Samurai Executioner, Volume 2

May 1, 2005
Koike and Kojima's 1990s " manga," Samurai Executioner, finally emerging in English, is essentially a police procedural series set in the Edo period in Japan (1603-1867) and revolving around the title character, Asaemon, whose background was explored in the first story in " When the Demon Knife Weeps " (2004). In that book's four additional stories, perps and investigators took the spotlight, with Asaemon delivering grim justice in conclusion. Two of the three stories in thise book focus on Asaemon, and in the others, he is more involved than in all but the first " Demon Knife" story. Each entry in " The Hell Stick " departs from formulas. In the title story, a lady who possesses a forbidden sword strives to get Asaemon's help, at first and unavailingly through seduction, later and successfully by telling the truth. In "The Mad Sword of Tsukuba Bakush," a man of much lower status challenges Asaemon in an attempt to take over his official duties. "Catcher Kasajir" follows a young man who comes to Asaemon for advice on how to become a better policeman. Slashing violence, convincingly rendered gore, nudity (nonfrontal), and sex (gritty but not pornographic) occur in virtually every story, but what distinguishes all is the dazzling plenitude of angles of vision, the masterly use of shading, and the tremendous energy in Kojima's strictly black-and-white artwork. Koike's dialogue, in which the diction reflects the character's personality and status, burnishes each story's noirish sheen. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)