A drifter is on a quest for revenge, but her enemy may not be the person she thinks she is. Check out this new miniseries based in Feudal Era Japan in Hitomi #1 by Image Comics!
HITOMI #1 (OF 5)
Writer: HS Tak
Artist: Isabella Mazzanti
Colorist: Valentina Napolitano
Letterer: Rob Jones
Editor: Chris Ryall
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 12th, 2022
Previously in Hitomi: Check out the historical fiction comic combined with Tarantino’s visceral action. This story follows a female drifter who works to gain the rank of Samurai.
REVENGE
Hitomi #1 starts with a female drifter looking for a samurai whose skin is as black as beetroot. Her travels take her to a monk, where she reveals this Samurai killed her family. The monk gives her advice to become the Samurai’s equal and learn the Bushido code. Meanwhile, the Samurai, named Yasuke, is a sumo wrestler who doesn’t have the same girth as his opponents and quickly loses. He is then seen pulling a cart as a simple servant.
The drifter befriends a fisherman. As they try to sell the fish to a passing caravan, she sees a samurai and learns that Yasuke has been missing for years. She then steals sake from the Samurai, which causes her to be thrown into freezing water and left to die. She is saved by Yasuke, who lights a fire before returning to his work.
THE BLACK SAMURAI
I know a little bit about Yasuke. Yasuke came to Japan and met Oda Nobunaga, an important historical figure. Recently, there was a Netflix anime called Yasuke about this man. It was even rumored that a live-action film starring Chadwick Boseman was in production before his death. He has also been featured in a handful of video games, tv shows, and manga. Hitomi #1 seems to be another retelling about the man who came to Japan and was present for some of Japan’s historical events.
Hitomi #1 explores a relationship between a drifter who seems angry at the world and Yasuke. However, I struggled with the characterization of any of the characters. There just wasn’t much for me to attach to. The drifter loses relatability when she is rude to authority and seemingly a drunk. Yasuke is more of an enigma than a pivotal character. The plotline has exciting elements, but it is hard to engage with the characters.
Visually, Hitomi excels at its use of colors. Hitomi #1 mimicked Nihonga art and was in a modern comic style. With refined details, simply drawn backgrounds, and vividly contrasting colors, the comic is striking to look at.
BOTTOM LINE: NOT A BAD START
Hitomi #1 has a foundation for a great story. I think this would work fine as an ongoing or even a twelve-issue series. As a five-issue series, I wanted to know more about the characters. Hopefully, the next issue will address the pacing of the characterization. 3.5 out of 5 stars for Hitomi #1.
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Hitomi #1
Hitomi #1 provides a great start to the plot, but I lacked a connection to the characters.
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Writing6
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Art7
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Coloring8
Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com