Title: Kato Origins (Click to go to the release post)
Writer(s): Jai Nitz (Click to see other books from this writer released on this site)
Review source: Zack Freeman (Review 1) DS Arsenault (Review 2) (Don't click it, read the review here... )
Review:
- Review 1 - Kato Origins #3 - Kato goes undercover to find a Nazi spy cell's bomb, but his head may too clouded with visions of romance for him to properly get the job done.
The Good
Nitz actually invests Kato with a surprising amount of depth. His love letters might have run a little too long and flowery in other circumstances, but here they paint a picture of a nigh-superhuman warrior monk who's as helpless in the face of love as any guy is. The historical context and place were also set quite well, given us a masked adventurer who's keenly aware of the world troubles of his time and his own divided alliance between his birth-land and his adopted home. Worley's art also goes a long way to add to this setting's verisimilitude, infusing everything with a grimy grit that puts this in reality while still having enough flair to make it exciting.
The Bad
Honestly, the trick Kato pulls on the Nazi spies was too thin for me to buy. He goes on a whole monologue about how sharp and highly-trained these saboteurs are supposed to be, and they're foiled by not looking an inch past the train's ledge? Kato might be small and stealthy, but he can't go completely flat.
The Verdict - 4/5
I continue to be impressed by how Dynamite's been able to make all of these older pulp characters relevant to modern tastes. Honestly, an entire comic about Kato interested me about as much as an entire comic about Tonto, at first, but the execution in this comic really won me over. All of these books have a classiness to their storytelling that reminds everybody why these characters have endured as long as they have.
Review 2 - Kato Origins #8 - The Story: The Hellfire Club: Kato investigates some mysterious activity in 1942 Chicago. Businessmen and criminals. Strange meetings. What are criminals and businessmen up to? Kato investigates in clandestine ways and gets some help from both Green Hornet and his new friend/former hobo James.
The Review: Jai Nitz, from word one, grips us in another one of those effective and powerful sets of metaphorical comparisons that I love. Here, Kato’s inner monologue turns over war and crime, secrecy and openness, like a pebble that has been palmed repeatedly and has smoothed in the process. The theme of secrecy and hiding things runs through the book, effectively, like a spine tying concepts together. And Kato’s voice, that of an experienced, lonely martial artist, steeped in Eastern philosophy and education, deepens the narrative, showing his trademark cynical view of men and the world through ironic humor. Nitz takes us a step further in Kato’s development and keeps the character fresh by surprising Kato in this issue, morally. That’s not easy to do without having the worldly character seem naive, but Nitz found some human tastes that fit the bill and did the job of giving Kato some room to grow as a person. That’s a very good thing for a writer to be able to do.
I loved the addition and growing role of James the Hobo, even though some of the stuff he has to do isn’t all that comfortable. Adding James to Kato’s cast is a natural and effective expansion of the mythos that pays dividends now and later (more character to explore, more potential for conflict, more ways to strike at Kato). The role reversal for Green Hornet and Kato seems to be strengthening, as I got the impression that Green Hornet really seems to be the chauffeur and overall second banana. I don’t mind, as I’m far more interested in Kato than in the Green Hornet, but it runs counter enough to my expectations to be a further positive surprise as the story progresses.
Colton Worley on pencils and inks, ably assisted by Fajardo on colors, does a great job of bringing Kato and 1942 Chicago to life with the kind of mood that suits Nitz’ writing. He evokes 1942 with the architecture and the little detailing on the windows and the items one finds behind the counter of a store 70 years ago. In terms of action, there’s a lot of stillness to Kato’s character. He is, by nature, a creature of patience and stealth until force is required. Worley imbues Kato with natural dynamism, even when Kato is still. Take, for example, the view of Kato picking the lock on page 1, or of him listening on page 2. Worley puts coiled tension into the stances without having it come off as contrived.
Conclusion: Dynamite’s Kato Origins has been on my pull list since issue #1 and shows no signs of falling off. This issue launches into the Hellfire Club arc and further defines and hones a character we fell for months ago. Go buy it.
More info:
- Jai Nitz (writer)
Colton Worley (pencils and inks)
Romulo Fajardo Jr. (colors)
Publisher:
Post rewarded by Ojay on Oct 10th, 2011, 6:19 am. |
Nice reviewed! 5 WRZ$ reward. Thanks Zach! |