Writer: Miguel Guerra & Suzy Dias
Penciler: Miguel Guerra
Cover Artist: Miguel Guerra
Publisher: Iberian Press
Publication Date: November 2008
Format: Graphic Novel
Samurai Elf: Bull’s Eye picks up immediately after the events of the first volume of the series. This volume is in full color, which is a pleasant surprise. Once again, the reader joins Ardan on his quest to discover why his destiny is so important to the survival of the planet Tyr. This time, he’s not only traveling with Keegan, the young woman who decided to join him in the first book, he’s also followed by several groups who very obviously simply want him dead. The major nemesis is a sinister cyborg army known as the Hoarde who are led by an as-yet-unseen mastermind known as “The Fury”, which chooses to speak to its minions as a very small helmet-shaped, hovering robot. The Hoarde itself seems like a great mix of “Predator” and “Terminator”, with some mythical supersoldier thrown into the blend, which makes them, overall, a formidable enemy. There is also a pair of bounty hunters known as Bone and Clyde, as well as a gang of hapless thugs to provide comedy relief. This is quite obviously a bridge volume, meant to forward information and introduce key characters, rather than forward plot. It’s not dull or tedious, things do happen, including a rather entertaining barroom brawl that is interrupted by a troll bouncer, but Ardan and Keegan don’t actually leave the city of Castel. There is the very promising introduction of a pirate character who is of a species that is, most likely, related to elvenkind. Her inclusion in the story is enough to keep readers engaged enough to look forward to the third volume. One gets the feeling in reading this volume that there will be a long, complex story arc, but it’s also a story that feels like it will be a very satisfying read in its entirity.
In the review of the previous volume, I mentioned that the artist and writer show great potential, and this installment certainly proves that. The artwork is still a bit flat and two-dimensional, but the style lends itself well to making the action in the story very clear and easy to understand visually. The color is well done and adds a bit more depth than the earlier volume had. The shading is far less plastic-looking and it’s clear that the artist is certainly learning his craft by creating something. There are far fewer awkward poses in this volume and the art flows better, lending a more natural pace to the story. The artist has grown by leaps and bounds in only a single volume.
The writing is also improving as the writers get a better feel for both their characters and the story that they want to tell. The characters never seem to act against the reader’s expectations and the dialogue is becoming more natural. It’s making great strides even in a single volume.
Samurai Elf shows the promise of being a very engaging series and it makes me want to see future volumes so I can see this team improve as they continue to tell this story.
