Art is very beautiful, but the story is lacking and didn't draw me in. ( )

Using the "In A Grove" story from Rashomon and the 47 Ronin incident, Victor Santos creates a Japanese noir tale featuring Commissioner Heigo Kobayashi.

In part one, Kobayashi is tasked with discovering the truth behind the death of a respected samurai in a grove near the Rashomon gate. Each party involved has their own version of events, and nobody seems to know the absolute truth. It's a frustrating case, and even Kobayashi's friend Hattori Hanzo is at a loss.

Part two sees Kobayashi investigating the revenge killing of a powerful official, who happens to have benefited from the unsure outcome of part one, marrying the widow of the slain samurai. Now, it is three years later, and he himself ends up dead, retaliation for his part in the forced seppuku of a samurai clan master. Now, the clan, 47 ronin, have taken their revenge and caused great political upheaval in the region. It is up to Kobayashi to find the best solution, but certain parties have their own ideas.

An interesting book, and one that I found at my local library. Being a huge fan of the "In a Grove" story and the Rashomon Effect as a whole, I knew I had to give this one a read. The story gets a little muddled with the more stylized art pieces, making the action hard to follow, it is still a fascinating pair of tales worth checking out. ( )

Here's a disappointing attempt to merge some old Japanese tales with the same sort of freakishly noir storytelling and art that Frank Miller used in his Sin City books.

First up is the story that inspired the movie Rashomon, wherein several people give conflicting testimony about a murder to our hero, Commissioner Heigo Kobayahsi. The Commish and some of the same characters then roll into the second chapter, a retelling of the famous 47 Ronin incident where some loyal warriors avenge the death of their lord. Bending timelines, the creator also mixes in famous figures like samurai/ninja Hattori Hanzo and swordsman/philosopher Miyamoto Musashi.

I like the source material, the ambition of the conceit and even the art, but I found the book a chore to read. The dialogue is leaden, the tone is flat and aloof despite all the action and machinations, and the characters lack charisma and dimension.

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