Bastard!! vol. 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 10 The kingdon of Metallicana is under attack after 14 years of peace. The only one they can turn to for help is their old enemy Dark Schneider, an evil wizard. He was reincarnated and sealed away in the body of a young boy Lucien. He has 14 years of memories spent with his adoptive family including the 14 year-old priestess Yoko, and it is only to her that his will bends at all. He still wishes to rule the world, but for now he is helping his former enemies fight his former allies especially after they kidnap Yoko.Under the title on the cover it says "Heavy Metal" and "Dark Fantasy". The dark fantasy part is obvious — evil wizards, hydras, golems, trolls, sword fights and sorcery. The heavy metal part is almost snuck in and works quite well. For example you'll find "Guns and Roses", "Venom", and "Slayer" used in attacks from D.S. (Dark Schneider). The combination is killer! (literally) Then of course there's the humor which is actually not so much provided by anything actually in the story or art as it is by the little side-notes Kazushi Hagiwara has in between panels in random spots. They make you look at the panel as a reader rather than as part of the story (in which case you would take things for granted). Some of my favorite examples are are due to D.S.'s always appearing in the nude and has clothes that just seem to appear (but he is a wizard so maybe the clothes are magic ... and the nudity is just his ego). One such example is Hagiwara's observation that D.S. desires "a nice pair of stretch pants". The melodrama from the gobs of background characters/soldiers is hilarious. I especially love lines like "The Horror! The Horror!" as they run in circles and weep and wail. The art is gorgeous. It's a little dated (as it was written and drawn in the 80s), but it has excellent details, body language, and expressions. And dang! If D.S. doesn't have the body to beat all, I don't know who does. Unfortunately there's no page numbers, but there's this one page towards the end of the book in which D.S. takes up the whole glorious page with his masculine self! Oh wow! You will go back to look at that page again and again I promise you. And for the guys reading, don't worry there's a bit of female flesh to be seen as well towards the end from the princess, Yoko, and an image of D.S. with all his past girls (which is, by the way, a bit more than suggestive). The story itself is action-packed, full of violence, blood, and violent deaths from spells, monsters, and weapons. Everything is introduced and the necessary history given early enough and quickly enough to keep the story unfolding. The characters personalities and relationships are deep and well-done. I do wonder how the spells can work when they interrupt the incantation to gloat or yell, but they do that in lots of series (Slayers for example). Yes, women are seen as sex objects, and there's only two girls: Yoko and the princess. On the one hand it fits with the setting of the story and the characters involved to have girls as sex objects (especially with D.S. being a beast of a man!), but these girls are both strong as well. The princess can fight in battle, and Yoko is a cleric (priestess in training basically), plus she has some control over D.S. The one scene where she says "Bad D.S." and dog/cat ears appear on his head as he stops to get scolded reminds me of Inu-Yasha. The girls both play important roles ... and remember, D.S. is also a sex object in a way. As a whole, Bastard!! is both inticing and addictive! It's a must-read! And I simply gotta have more! If you're looking for action with your dark fantasy this is the title for you — Record of Lodoss War has nothing on the violence and force of Bastard!!'s story. Written: January 18, 2004
|
|
|
Home |
Features |
Columns |
Culture Vultures |
Report Card
Indicia | Contact | Archives © Sequential Tart, 1998 – 2021 |
