|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||
|
|
Reviewed by Michael Deeley After the nuclear holocaust, four masters of the Hokuto Shinken martial art seek out their destinies. One has already been killed by Kenshiro, the greatest and noblest of the masters. In this volume, Kenshiro rescues the third master, Toki, from a mad emperor. He’s shocked to learn the emperor is Raoh, the fourth and most evil of the four masters. Kenshiro fears he cannot defeat Raoh, especially after he’s killed one of his friends. But if Raoh prevails, he will conquer the world and rule like a god. Now, I’ve never read a ‘Fist of the North Star’ comic before this. I saw an episode of the cartoon once, and wasn’t impressed. I have been reading ‘Fist of the Blue Sky’, a prequel to ‘North Star’ about Kenshiro’s 20th Century predecessor. So I came into this book only knowing what Hokuto Shinken was: The fighting art of manipulating a person’s chi, (energy), to cause specific pains, dismemberments, or deaths. This usually means sticking one’s fingers through a guy’s head, pulling it out, and watching him explode. Fun stuff. This book boats high production values. The paper is thick and smooth. The art is never lost or obscured by the book’s binding. Speaking of which, the story has been colored for this “Master Edition” series. They’ve done a fine job of it. The colors lend a richness and depth to the story, characters, and the environments. Although it’s a paperback, it has a dust jacket. This book would look great on your shelf. I can’t help comparing ‘North Star’ to ‘Blue Sky’. That may be unfair since the two stories were written almost 20 years apart. ‘North Star’ is copyrighted 1983, while ‘Blue Sky’ is copyrighted 2001. They do share the same artist in Hara Tetsuo. Naturally, his style has changed over time. I find his work in ‘Blue Sky’ to be more refined and mature than in ‘North Star’. Tetsuo’s art in ‘North Star’ is very similar to the art in ‘City Hunter’, a style used in most manga created in the 1980s. This makes ‘North Star’ feel like a “generic” manga, lacking in character. For me, the art is secondary to the story, which is sadly weak here. In the 8 chapters collected here, (59-66), Kenshiro rescues Toki, meets Raoh, sees him kill a supporting character, and two other characters se harbingers of their deaths. I know that seeing a character die is supposed to be shocking and tragic. But I just didn’t feel anything. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read the series from the beginning, so I didn’t develop any attachment to anyone. Maybe because in the bleak landscape where the book takes place, where death is common and life is cheap, one person’s death means nothing. Overall, I prefer ‘Fist of the Blue Sky’ over ‘North Star’. ‘Blue Sky’ has a crime-noir style story with kung-fu elements. The characters there also show a greater range of emotions. Then again, I’ve read ‘Blue Sky’ from the beginning, so I’ve grown attached to the series. Perhaps I’d say the same about ‘North Star’ if I’d read the whole series. ‘Fist of the North Star, Master Edition’ is a well-made comic with a good story. Reviewing one volume out of context may not be fair, but it’s all I’ve read so far. If you can afford it, read the series from Vol. 1. Me, I’ll wait until ‘Fist of the Blue Sky’ has concluded. Maybe then I’ll be able to afford the entire series. Interested in writing for MangaLife? We're always looking for talented reviewers and columnists, so drop us a line! Charles Webb Editor-in-Chief, MangaLife.com |
1 November 2010
|
||||
 |
| home | reviews | news | features | about us | advertise | privacy policy | contact us |
