|
© 2001 Viz Comics
|
|
 |
Strain
Vols. 1-3 (Viz Pulp Graphic Novel)
Review
by: Troy
Brownfield
Story:
Buronson
Art:
Ryochi Ikegami
|
First,
a few words about Pulp. Pulp is Viz Communications’ manga
magzine for adults, and as such, it reprints some popular
Japanese strips in a serialized fashion. These strips get
gathered into collections and released under Viz’s Pulp Grahpic
Novel imprint. Viz and Pulp have managed to get some high-profile
creators for their project, and it doesn’t get much more high
profile than the team behind the strident neo-noir of Strain.
Strain
comes to us from the renowned duo of Buronson and Ryoichi
Ikegami, who together were responsible for the widely acclaimed
Sanctuary. On their own, Buronson was the writer of
Fist of the North Star, and Ikegami handled the art
for Mai the Psychic Girl and the immortal Crying
Freeman. To say that this project has a prestigious pedigree
would be an understatement on the order of “Comic Books are
somewhat popular in Japan.”
The
story of Strain is deceptively simple. Mayo, a hitman
who charges only five dollars a job, takes an offer to hit
a young prostitute. Of course, like a lot of hitmen protagonists
throughout fiction, Mayo decides not to carry out the job,
thrusting into a load of trouble. What’s original here is
the initial why of this particular hit, and how it ties into
Mayo personally. To say too much would be to unfairly rip
away the slowly unfolding levels of plot.
Buronson’s
story really works on multiple levels, and his characters
run the gamut from quietly soulful to outrageously disturbed.
Sado-masochistic cop Angel comes off early on as nothing but
a sick monster, but as the story goes on, we actually see
into his past and the complexity within the character. Several
more examples readily come to mind, largely because this is
the accomplished work of a skilled writer.
In
terms of the art, Ikegami brings his typical brilliance. Drawing
with astonishing clarity and detail, he makes every shoot-out,
and for that matter, every conversation, gripping. He truly
is a master craftsman.
I
definitely enjoyed the first three volumes of Strain,
and I look forward to seeing the rest of the narrative. This
is a solid choice for fans of the two creators, or for fans
of slightly disturbing crime fiction in general.
Troy Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. His favorite
Strain is Julie. Learn more about the series at www.viz.com.
Email Troy at psikotyk@aol.com.
|
