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    Boom Studios

    Advanced Review: Swordsmith Assassin #1

    Stephen SchleicherBy Stephen SchleicherJune 24, 2009Updated:June 24, 20091 Comment4 Mins Read

    Those who live by the sword, die by the sword

    swordsmith_01_picon_1.jpg

    Boom! Studios was kind enough to give the Major Spoilers Crew a sneak peek at its latest series, Swordsmith Assassin #1 by Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson.  It’s a tale of love, mistakes, and revenge, and it’s a book you probably ought to get on your pull list.

    swordsmith_01_preview_1.jpgThe four issue mini-series is written by Andrew Cosby, of Eureka fame, and Michael Alan Nelson, the writer of Hexed, and many of Boom’s Cthulhu books, which I have enjoyed greatly, so going into the first issue, I was primed for a well written story.  I wasn’t ready for how extremely well written this first issue is.

    Swordsmith Assassin tells the tale of a master samurai sword maker, who decided to make his fortune by selling his swords to the highest bidder instead of those who were truly worthy of being honored with the weapon.  Toshiro Ono’s story is an understandable one, especially in this day and age where children are trying to break away from everything their parents taught them, in hopes of seeking their fame and fortune in any way possible.  instead of being satisfied with the honor of being the greatest swordsmith in all the world, Toshiro wants to make as much money as possible to give his family everything they could ever imagine.  We often call those people sellouts, as they are only going for the money instead of honing their craft.

    Unfortunately, many of the swords he sold were to people who were not worthy, and readers quickly discover that Toshiro ends up suffering greatly for his avarice.  This sets him on a mission to retrieve and destroy every sword he ever made in order to regain balance, and make reparations to those that have suffered.

    Cosby and Nelson weave a tale that is tight and engaging from the first page.  I like the flashback method of the storytelling, and considering Toshiro is going to be on the road, Swordsmith Assassin turns into Kung-Fu, Shogun, Hero all rolled into a story that looks like it is shaping up to be incredibly epic.  Considering the death wish Toshiro seems to have, any hope for an upbeat ending seem slim, but that doesn’t diminish how powerful the first issue is in hooking the reader.

    Boom! doesn’t follow the traditional comic book art style popularized in other company’s titles, and the art by Ayhan Hayrula certainly stands out as different.  The detail and design of the issue often had me thinking of Ukiyo-e, which is quite appropriate for this tale.  The coloring often washes across the page to not only enhance the action, but to reflect the mood of the characters. It’s really well done, but there are going to be some who aren’t sold on the look simply because they like unrealistically proportioned muscular men and women in skin tight Lycra spandex.

    Call it being at the right place at the right time, but Boom! Studios has consistently impressed me with its ability to turn out engaging titles that get a lot of talk from anyone who picks up a copy.  The continual rise of Boom! Studios makes it feel like we are witnessing the late 80’s all over again, as the company comes from nowhere to snag audience share.  Swordsmith Assassin #1 is sure to further enhance the company, and is book that should be on your pull list for the next four months, earning 4.5 out of 5 Stars.

    45stars.jpg

    If you haven’t already put the book on your pull list, you can still get the first issue if you let your local store owner know you want it before June 29, 2009.

    Alan Nelson Assassin avarice boom Cthulhu die by the sword fame and fortune flashback HERO highest bidder mini series Much Money parents reparations revenge samurai sword maker Sneak Peek Storytelling swords tale of love
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    Stephen Schleicher
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    Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...

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    1 Comment

    1. Matt on June 24, 2009 4:50 pm

      I am really looking forward to this book. So far I don’t think I’ve read something from Boom I didn’t like. Unknown is great. Hexed was freaking unbelieavable. Irredeemable is good.

      Reply

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