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Kabuki: Circle of Blood Paperback – January 1, 2001

by David Mack (Author, Illustrator, Contributor), Connie Jiang (Editor), Stephen Stegelin (Contributor),
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 49 ratings
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Collecting all six issues of the first Kabuki series plus the hard to find prequel one-shot with new pages of art from scenes that for space reasons were left out of the original story. It also includes in-depth notes and story analysis about the subtext of the story. Circle of Blood recounts the origins of the government operative known as Kabuki who works in Japan's near future, It's an exploration of the relationship between Japan's government and organized crime on a truly epic scale!
Previous page
  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Image Comics
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2001
  5. Reading age
    13 - 16 years
  6. Dimensions
    6.6 x 0.8 x 10.1 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1887279806
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1887279802
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Image Comics (January 1, 2001)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1887279806
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1887279802
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 16 years
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.4 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.6 x 0.8 x 10.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 49 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
49 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Paige Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning variety of art, compelling character, MUST READ
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2015
Verified Purchase
One of the greatest comic series ever written. It is amazing that this tour de force was Mack's first published work. He created this while in college.

There are countless ways that this work stands head and shoulders above other work:
1. Lead character is interesting - heroic but not a superhero
2. The variety of themes and topics he touches is vast; from crime, to politics, to asian culture
3. The setting of Kyoto is fascinating and Japan itself is a major "character."
4. The artwork is stunning and varied. Every page is a new direction, a different style, yet the entire work is cohesive
5. Mack can really draw women- they are consistently hot- which is fun to read!
6. We care about the characters- there is some development here
7. The story is fast-paced and interesting
8. The amount of detail on Japanese characters and culture is stunning and well-researched
9. Although originally a series, the story lines flow so seamlessly from chapter to chapter that it seems as if it was written as a graphic novel

This is one of the best "graphic novels" I have ever read. If you read them, this book is a must read.
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JWDijkstra
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best book I've ever read
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2012
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Yes, this is a comic book. Yes there's loads of pictures that look like a comic book. This book however has an art style that adapts to the story. And the story is where it's at.

Set in the near future, Mack has created a story that isn't just for comic book fans. I cannot stress this enough. It deals with loss, feeling alone, and the shame of being different. I know this all sounds a bit emo, but it's not like that.
Read this book, you will not regret it, and I assure you you'll want to read the other books in the Kabuki series (the second one is the weakest)
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars David Mack's Masterpiece
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2014
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This is one of the finest examples of David Mack's work. I'd highly suggest picking this up. It's beautiful, it is distinctly Japanese and Kabuki has one hell of a story. This is my personal favorite by Mr. Mack.
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Joseph J. Truncale
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and unique graphic novel for those into these kind of dark Japanese stories.
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
After reading and reviewing Kabuki: #2 Dreams by David Mack, I decided to purchase this graphic novel, Kabuki: Circle of Blood. This one goes into greater detail and is much darker than "Dreams." As a lifetime student of numerous Japanese martial arts (Judo, Jujitsu, Karate-Do, Kendo, Kenjutsu) I really enjoyed reading this kind of dark Japanese story. This large and fully illustrated book is organized in what the author terms six acts rather than chapters. This is because it was designed to be read like a Japanese dark play with many scenes in each act. The prologue, "Fear the Reaper" gives the reader an idea of what is to follow. The six acts are as follows:

Act 1: Ghosts in the looking class. Act 2: Masks of the Noh. Act 3: Broken. Act 4: Illusions. Act 5: The Mad Tea Party. Act 6: Final curtain. It is difficult to classify this kind of graphic novel because it deals with a very dark and sometimes disturbing story. This, of course, is not unusual in Japanese stories. It is a combination of Japanese Bushido (Way of the Warrior), martial arts, mythology, political corruption, family duty, espionage, deadly female assassins and other related topics. The graphics are unique and interesting in this book, showing the ruthless skill of the beautiful female assassins.

In conclusion, if you are into this kind of graphic novel, you may want to check it out. This is an unusual book and even though it is a dark and weird story; nevertheless, I found it to be a good read.

Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: The Samurai Soul: An old warrior's poetic tribute)
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Giovanni Sforzini
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2017
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Really enjoyable, riveting and superb graphics.
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Emily
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2018
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Item was as described! Quick delivery. Thanks!
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JS
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
great story and art
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Shadi N. Saber
3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Reactions
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2001
I ordered this book mainly because i liked Mr. Mack's run on daredevil and especially his superbly painted covers. I was mildly dissapointed. Don't get me wrong, the story is gripping, but not extremely so, but the artwork is not all that, if you know what i mean. This being Mr. Mack's first such work must be taken into consideration though, and i have orderd the next volume and hope that it will be better art-wise.
Another problem with this sort of book though is that you can't help comparing it to similar books with Japanese authors (Blade of the Immortal springs to mind), and in such comparison this book is surely to be lacking.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gautam
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely amazing
Reviewed in India on May 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am blown away by the complexity of David Mack's work. Jodorowsky and Giraud's work is also amazing but this... this is by far the most experimental Graphic Novel I have ever read. It forces me to spend time on every frame, every page to understand how the disparate elements of the story are coming together and taking it forward. Super Nice!
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Fernando
5.0 out of 5 stars Buono
Reviewed in Italy on February 27, 2016
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Fumetto bellissimo veloce e buone condizioni del prodotto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Pierre
5.0 out of 5 stars Un chef d'oeuvre
Reviewed in France on September 2, 2013
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Reconnu dans le monde entier, cette BD est un must have... Comics meets manga, je suis fan et le recommande à tout les amateurs de BD
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LophusJM
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute masterpiece
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 25, 2011
Verified Purchase
I discoverd David Mack, probably like a lot of people, through the work he did for Marvel (namely Daredevil, Echo, Alias etc) and found it to be extraordinary. Then I looked up his other work. Its mesmerizing. Unlike anything else, and I do mean that quite literally.
The plot itself can be summarized easily: Set in an alternate, near-future Japan, Kabuki, the titular character, is an assassin and television law-enforcement persona of a powerful conglomerate called The Noh. Alongside seven other colourful and deadly agents she polices the Japanese underworld to maintain the delicate balance of order. Due to personal reasons however, Kabuki rebels against her masters.
That, is a very compressed version of this incredible book. Upon reading, I was awestruck by the elegance and sophistication of Mack's writing and how despite being a tale of extreme violence (not to mention scantily-clad women, the story was incredibly tasteful. The artwork is lavish and beutifully drawn, with superb inking that conveys the philosophical and introspective concepts that are the main structure of the narrative. This is one very moving, tangeble and impeccably well-researched graphic novel (it is after all a story of a Japanese woman written by an American man).
Circle of Blood is the first volume in the Kabuki series (there are seven in total) and is arguably the most action packed, the dramatic events of this book pave the way for the slow-boiling and thoughful sequences of the others. Quite notably, from volume 2 onwards, Mack's drawing style changes into a multi-textured cacophany of fine art -ranging from stunning water colour portraits to intensely detailed collages of words; with all offering diffrent ways of approaching the story. That said, Circle of Blood could be called the most conventional of the series, but this in no way hinders it.
Overall, I have been thoroughly recommending this book to every comic reader I know and I encorage others here to pick it up, whether you're a fan of Japanese culture, beautiful women with prosphetic limbs or an avid thinker, this is by far one of the most sophisticated graphic novels you may ever encounter.
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Zoe
5.0 out of 5 stars Kabuki
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 16, 2013
Verified Purchase
Just started reading this, it is a brilliant read, very very good art style. the book arrived in near mint condition - just a very very (i stress) very slight crease on the spine. nothing traumatic . It is awesome, i cant wait to get book 2 !!
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