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Kabuki #1
Kabuki, Vol. 1: Circle of Blood
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!
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
David W. Mack
464 books207 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
David W. Mack is a comic book artist and writer, best known for his creation Kabuki and his work on the Marvel Comics titles Daredevil and Alias
The author of the Star Trek Novels is David Mack
David W. Mack is a comic book artist and writer, best known for his creation Kabuki and his work on the Marvel Comics titles Daredevil and Alias
The author of the Star Trek Novels is David Mack
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
January 3, 2020
Kabuki is my first graphic novel of 2020, but is a revisit of an old favorite from back in the 1990s. In fact, the volume I have is apparently one of the originals and, as of the time I am writing this review, not able to be selected on Goodreads.
Cool side story to start. I found this artist and series back in the 90s when I was in an alternative comic book phase. I say “alternative” because I was not into DC and Marvel, it was more Image and Dark Horse and any other “off brand” of comic. However, I did not find this book by inquiring at the local comic book store. I was helping out my mother by doing a summer acting workshop for kids in her school district. I was a theater major at the time so it seemed like a perfect summer project. As part of it, I wrote a play and directed it. In addition to school kids, some of the teachers and substitute teachers got involved. One of the substitute teachers found out that I liked comics and recommended his brother’s title . . . at this point you can probably see where this is going . . . he was David Mack’s brother and the title was Kabuki.
I was glad that I did not have to use any of my acting chops to make his brother believe that I liked it. As soon as I picked it up, I was instantly into it. While I am a fan of both black and white and color comics, I think black and white is my favorite, which made this very appealing to me from the get go. (Another title I was very into at the time was Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise – also a black and white title).
So, how did it hold up after all these years?
1990s me gives it 5+ stars
2020 me gives it 4 to 4.5 stars – I am going to round it up to 5 as an average between old me and new me!
Why the reduction in stars? Well, I suppose it has to do with that feeling you get when you go back and watch or read any favorite after years away from it. There is a chance it might appeal just as much, but there is also a good chance that your memory of it will shine brighter than the revisitation. I think, too, that at the time I was in college, so I was into more artsy and works. This title is very artsy and poetic to the point that the story is sometimes not straightforward and requires analysis through introspection. That just isn’t quite me as much anymore. It’s still good, but preferences change.
If you are into really great artwork, Japanese lore, poetry, symbolism, revenge, etc. I cannot recommend this title enough. If you need your story and art to be clear and concise, you may not enjoy this one quite as much. But, for graphic novel fans who like to dabble in all aspects of the medium, I think this is a title you cannot afford to miss.
Cool side story to start. I found this artist and series back in the 90s when I was in an alternative comic book phase. I say “alternative” because I was not into DC and Marvel, it was more Image and Dark Horse and any other “off brand” of comic. However, I did not find this book by inquiring at the local comic book store. I was helping out my mother by doing a summer acting workshop for kids in her school district. I was a theater major at the time so it seemed like a perfect summer project. As part of it, I wrote a play and directed it. In addition to school kids, some of the teachers and substitute teachers got involved. One of the substitute teachers found out that I liked comics and recommended his brother’s title . . . at this point you can probably see where this is going . . . he was David Mack’s brother and the title was Kabuki.
I was glad that I did not have to use any of my acting chops to make his brother believe that I liked it. As soon as I picked it up, I was instantly into it. While I am a fan of both black and white and color comics, I think black and white is my favorite, which made this very appealing to me from the get go. (Another title I was very into at the time was Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise – also a black and white title).
So, how did it hold up after all these years?
1990s me gives it 5+ stars
2020 me gives it 4 to 4.5 stars – I am going to round it up to 5 as an average between old me and new me!
Why the reduction in stars? Well, I suppose it has to do with that feeling you get when you go back and watch or read any favorite after years away from it. There is a chance it might appeal just as much, but there is also a good chance that your memory of it will shine brighter than the revisitation. I think, too, that at the time I was in college, so I was into more artsy and works. This title is very artsy and poetic to the point that the story is sometimes not straightforward and requires analysis through introspection. That just isn’t quite me as much anymore. It’s still good, but preferences change.
If you are into really great artwork, Japanese lore, poetry, symbolism, revenge, etc. I cannot recommend this title enough. If you need your story and art to be clear and concise, you may not enjoy this one quite as much. But, for graphic novel fans who like to dabble in all aspects of the medium, I think this is a title you cannot afford to miss.
August 23, 2008
Kabuki is a series about transformation. Yes, it has beautiful art. Yes, it has great writing. And while the central theme of the narrative is transformation, what I found even more powerful is the way the art of the stories transforms from collection to collection, seeming to mirror the character’s evolution.
I have met David Mack a couple times at Comicon, and I’ve been meaning to ask him if he always intended from the beginning for the story to be about transformation and to move from standard comic style to collage. I like to think that it’s something he came up with as he went along, and the writing of the story transformed as he developed it. That the book evolved him as the story itself evolved.
On a plot level, the story begins in rather mainstream comic fashion. Kabuki is set slightly in the future, primarily in Japan. The main character, Kabuki, is one of a group of eight female assassins called The Noh who wear iconic masks and stylized costumes. They are a team managed by the government and sent out to instill fear and kill gangsters and various corporate criminals. However ... not all is as it appears. A multi-layered conspiracy ensues. Seven graphic novels complete the story.
Kabuki Circle of Blood. Mack wrote and drew. Black & white. Has a grim, raw style. The art seems a bit underdeveloped to my eye. Has a bit of Sin City tone but more surreal. With more emphasis on emotions. The story is overall, fairly straightforward to this point.
Kabuki Dreams. Mack wrote and drew. Takes a huge leap forward in style and has more of the Mack signature look. Collage style begins, color is introduced. Blends pencil sketching, ink drawings, painting and even photography. This is a book of interior monologue and, as the title would lead you to believe, is trippy.
Kabuki Masks of Noh. Mack writes and draws some scenes, but this is primarily guest drawn. The style returns to black & white, but overall more refined, precise and graphic than Circle of Blood. Rick Mays draws a pretty phenomenal Scarab. The various artists seem to be chosen to help represent the style of each of the assassins. This sequence consists of short stories introducing us further to the other members of the Noh.
Kabuki Skin Deep. Mack returns to both draw and write. In Skin Deep his incredible artistic skills beginning to shine. He can morph like a chameleon from cartoonish renderings to realist representational paintings to pencil sketches.
Kabuki Metamorphosis. Mack writes, draws, letters and designs. For the sheer brilliance on display, I think Metamorphosis is the most beautiful of the series and my favorite. The diversity of techniques is breathtaking.
Kabuki Scarab Lost in Translation. An action-packed side-step featuring everyone's favorite assassin, Scarab. Illustrated in graphic black & white by Rick Mays, the coolest artist from the Masks collection. Just as the art harkens to outstanding comic illustration style, it doesn't push the envelope in content or technique. A fun diversion.
Kabuki The Alchemy. Mack takes his signature collage style even further, using cut up items and diverse materials including envelopes and letters sent to him from fans of the series to tell the existentialist, inspirational conclusion of Kabuki's epic story. Although visually, I prefer Metamorphosis, I truly admire The Alchemy for showing the potential of comics. Yes, many artists like R. Crumb and Chris Ware have achieved fame for non-superhero stories. But Mack essentially demonstrates the potential before our eyes to move beyond the dictates of the superhero form. A series that begins with ultra-violent superhumans fighting battles for stereotypical reasons ends with artistic explorations of our inner potential as creative beings. Kabuki moves beyond standard comic book “hero” tropes into a story of heroic action as self-transformation, moving beyond the dictatorship of the system, the fear of change and the psychological control of the past. The hero is one who evolves not one who kills everything. And Mack says we each have the potential, regardless of what has come before, to evolve. Perhaps best of all, the transformation that takes place goes much further than within the narrative; it is a transformation of the form of graphic storytelling. Now that is truly inspirational.
Highly recommended!
I have met David Mack a couple times at Comicon, and I’ve been meaning to ask him if he always intended from the beginning for the story to be about transformation and to move from standard comic style to collage. I like to think that it’s something he came up with as he went along, and the writing of the story transformed as he developed it. That the book evolved him as the story itself evolved.
On a plot level, the story begins in rather mainstream comic fashion. Kabuki is set slightly in the future, primarily in Japan. The main character, Kabuki, is one of a group of eight female assassins called The Noh who wear iconic masks and stylized costumes. They are a team managed by the government and sent out to instill fear and kill gangsters and various corporate criminals. However ... not all is as it appears. A multi-layered conspiracy ensues. Seven graphic novels complete the story.
Kabuki Circle of Blood. Mack wrote and drew. Black & white. Has a grim, raw style. The art seems a bit underdeveloped to my eye. Has a bit of Sin City tone but more surreal. With more emphasis on emotions. The story is overall, fairly straightforward to this point.
Kabuki Dreams. Mack wrote and drew. Takes a huge leap forward in style and has more of the Mack signature look. Collage style begins, color is introduced. Blends pencil sketching, ink drawings, painting and even photography. This is a book of interior monologue and, as the title would lead you to believe, is trippy.
Kabuki Masks of Noh. Mack writes and draws some scenes, but this is primarily guest drawn. The style returns to black & white, but overall more refined, precise and graphic than Circle of Blood. Rick Mays draws a pretty phenomenal Scarab. The various artists seem to be chosen to help represent the style of each of the assassins. This sequence consists of short stories introducing us further to the other members of the Noh.
Kabuki Skin Deep. Mack returns to both draw and write. In Skin Deep his incredible artistic skills beginning to shine. He can morph like a chameleon from cartoonish renderings to realist representational paintings to pencil sketches.
Kabuki Metamorphosis. Mack writes, draws, letters and designs. For the sheer brilliance on display, I think Metamorphosis is the most beautiful of the series and my favorite. The diversity of techniques is breathtaking.
Kabuki Scarab Lost in Translation. An action-packed side-step featuring everyone's favorite assassin, Scarab. Illustrated in graphic black & white by Rick Mays, the coolest artist from the Masks collection. Just as the art harkens to outstanding comic illustration style, it doesn't push the envelope in content or technique. A fun diversion.
Kabuki The Alchemy. Mack takes his signature collage style even further, using cut up items and diverse materials including envelopes and letters sent to him from fans of the series to tell the existentialist, inspirational conclusion of Kabuki's epic story. Although visually, I prefer Metamorphosis, I truly admire The Alchemy for showing the potential of comics. Yes, many artists like R. Crumb and Chris Ware have achieved fame for non-superhero stories. But Mack essentially demonstrates the potential before our eyes to move beyond the dictates of the superhero form. A series that begins with ultra-violent superhumans fighting battles for stereotypical reasons ends with artistic explorations of our inner potential as creative beings. Kabuki moves beyond standard comic book “hero” tropes into a story of heroic action as self-transformation, moving beyond the dictatorship of the system, the fear of change and the psychological control of the past. The hero is one who evolves not one who kills everything. And Mack says we each have the potential, regardless of what has come before, to evolve. Perhaps best of all, the transformation that takes place goes much further than within the narrative; it is a transformation of the form of graphic storytelling. Now that is truly inspirational.
Highly recommended!
January 15, 2020
For an indie comic written 25 years ago, this holds up remarkably well. At times, it feels it does want to be The Crow but I like how you can see the art evolve with each issue. It's not a traditionally drawn comic. There is little panel structure. Most pages are intended as full art pieces with poetic language used as narration. In that respect it's influenced by the early Vertigo comic writers. The transfers aren't the best, especially the text when it's white lettering on a black background, it can be difficult to read. But given this was originally published at a now defunct comic company, Caliber Press, that's not surprising.
The story is about a team of female assassins working for a shadowy Japanese government group that takes out criminals. As a warning, there is a LOT of violence towards women and children. The story can be a bit obtuse in places but I didn't find it hard to follow. I liked it well enough that I will be moving on to volume 2.
The story is about a team of female assassins working for a shadowy Japanese government group that takes out criminals. As a warning, there is a LOT of violence towards women and children. The story can be a bit obtuse in places but I didn't find it hard to follow. I liked it well enough that I will be moving on to volume 2.
April 6, 2018
Kabuki wants to be Sin City. Kabuki also wants to be The Crow. Toss in some Blade Runner, and we’re ready to go.
Innumerable influences and references tether each other in this richly dense story of betrayal and technology in late 20th century Japan. Although it builds upon a great many other sources, it succeeds in carving out not just its own space but, it’s own highly individualized identity. As unique as the crescent moon blades our protagonist wields, so to does Dave Mack’s creation revel in it’s special own space – building upon established awesomeness yet applying and then modulating them to fit the author’s own unparalleled vision.
Gorgeous pencils burgeon from an unabashedly orientalist veneer. While reveling in the exotic otherness of the East, a delicate touch aptly illustrate a respectful and realistic façade that is as well researched as it is respectful. Alongside these dazzling glimmer and gleams, subaltern daily life is well juxtaposed throughout, creating a wide panorama of a strongly contextualized world.
The same expertly woven threads that illustrate the world of Kabuki also weave the gut wrenching backstory of our main character. Unstinting brutality and crushing believability forge a phenomenal emotional resonance. This superb set-up, has fear reaching implications that drive the rest of the series.
Kabuki for the most part it holds up well some two decades later. Quality and intensity barely give an inch, barreling forth like shotput from a canon. Save a few vagaries of time, Kabuki remains a stunning read.
Innumerable influences and references tether each other in this richly dense story of betrayal and technology in late 20th century Japan. Although it builds upon a great many other sources, it succeeds in carving out not just its own space but, it’s own highly individualized identity. As unique as the crescent moon blades our protagonist wields, so to does Dave Mack’s creation revel in it’s special own space – building upon established awesomeness yet applying and then modulating them to fit the author’s own unparalleled vision.
Gorgeous pencils burgeon from an unabashedly orientalist veneer. While reveling in the exotic otherness of the East, a delicate touch aptly illustrate a respectful and realistic façade that is as well researched as it is respectful. Alongside these dazzling glimmer and gleams, subaltern daily life is well juxtaposed throughout, creating a wide panorama of a strongly contextualized world.
The same expertly woven threads that illustrate the world of Kabuki also weave the gut wrenching backstory of our main character. Unstinting brutality and crushing believability forge a phenomenal emotional resonance. This superb set-up, has fear reaching implications that drive the rest of the series.
Kabuki for the most part it holds up well some two decades later. Quality and intensity barely give an inch, barreling forth like shotput from a canon. Save a few vagaries of time, Kabuki remains a stunning read.
April 24, 2012
Kabuki is an appropriate name for David Mack’s anti-hero. Like the traditional Japanese drama it draws its name, the character is a complex creation with layers upon layers of story, technique and nuance. It is a story that Mack has poured a lot of himself in to produce. He draws upon his fascination and knowledge of the Japan; its language, society and its sub-cultures, his martial arts experience and his ingenious application of various visual art media. It is a well-researched, beautifully written and innovatively drawn piece of sequential art. His dialogue and caption has a cadence that is almost poetic. He uses a lot of visual imagery to tell his story, from his line art, use of symbols and calligraphy, page design and water color. He utilizes similar and repeating images to evoke emotion as one reads it. It is almost a shame that the book is in black and white, a lot of detail is obscured, as the stark monochrome belies the richness of his opus. This is one graphic novel that makes the reader think. Mack does not spoon-feed his audience, but allows the reader to experience the story as it unfolds.
When this was first released, it was during a short lived “bad girl” fad in comics. Those titles relied pm gratuitous T & A to sell copies to an overwhelming make readership. Kabuki instead relied on its nuanced storytelling to stand out and it attracted a fair sized female following. Stand it did, it has been honored for numerous industry citations.
Each chapter in this collection is a complete graphic novel in itself, a satisfying read as Mack doesn’t skimp on the story or detail. Each can be panel intensive or a splash page if the story calls for it. It is graphically violent, with decapitation, dismemberment, immolation and rape. But it does move the story forward and not wholly unnecessary.
When this was first released, it was during a short lived “bad girl” fad in comics. Those titles relied pm gratuitous T & A to sell copies to an overwhelming make readership. Kabuki instead relied on its nuanced storytelling to stand out and it attracted a fair sized female following. Stand it did, it has been honored for numerous industry citations.
Each chapter in this collection is a complete graphic novel in itself, a satisfying read as Mack doesn’t skimp on the story or detail. Each can be panel intensive or a splash page if the story calls for it. It is graphically violent, with decapitation, dismemberment, immolation and rape. But it does move the story forward and not wholly unnecessary.
March 22, 2019
I am so glad I found this, as it was mentioned by some reddit user in a thread about must read graphic novels. Boy oh boy, this book is nothing short of amazing. I would describe it as Sci-Fi that along the way harks back into the past of WW2 and it is told from the japanese viewpoint. If you are okay with creative artistic story telling and lay outs that break the mold you really should give this a go.
Usually I only was able to find deep poetic stories like this in Manga, which makes this kind of odd being from a western writer David Mack. But at the same time it has a seriousness and a sense of reality, that Manga's often lack even if its sometimes quite surreal. It is about a group of female assassins that perform political motivated killings for a secretive shadow group called the Noh, led by an old WW2 general. A warning tho, it is very brutal with graphic violence against women and children so... be aware of that.
Its for me a must read, and I am kind of sad it is overlooked for the most part. As far as I know it was published through icon and image, but if you are lucky enough you should get a hold of the oversized library editions which were published through dark horse as a 20th anniversary.
5 out of 5 stars
Usually I only was able to find deep poetic stories like this in Manga, which makes this kind of odd being from a western writer David Mack. But at the same time it has a seriousness and a sense of reality, that Manga's often lack even if its sometimes quite surreal. It is about a group of female assassins that perform political motivated killings for a secretive shadow group called the Noh, led by an old WW2 general. A warning tho, it is very brutal with graphic violence against women and children so... be aware of that.
Its for me a must read, and I am kind of sad it is overlooked for the most part. As far as I know it was published through icon and image, but if you are lucky enough you should get a hold of the oversized library editions which were published through dark horse as a 20th anniversary.
5 out of 5 stars
July 21, 2014
Very hard to characterize. Kind of a collage style of storytelling and art, with romantic styling and color and eight women assassins in a cool.sophisticated Yakuza environment in Japan. He dedicates this series to his mother, who dies young, at 49, which would seem to be a tribute to her spirit. I need to reread this to evn scratch the surface at its nuances and references….
November 25, 2020
This book is a little weird at first, a little hard to follow, but if you keep going, it fits together like a puzzle, bit by bit, piece by piece, until you get the full picture. Then the full picture comes to life and you get to watch the last few acts of the book take you on a wild ride. The detail is amazing and it reveals itself as you take a closer look.
I wasn't totally into this book at first (I don't care for the mostly naked women stuff), but it finally clicked about half way through Act 1. Act 3 was especially intriguing but Act 6 was the "HOLY S***!" moment that took this book from "Nice, cool" to "WOAH!"
All I can say is, start, keep reading, and you'll see what I mean.
I wasn't totally into this book at first (I don't care for the mostly naked women stuff), but it finally clicked about half way through Act 1. Act 3 was especially intriguing but Act 6 was the "HOLY S***!" moment that took this book from "Nice, cool" to "WOAH!"
All I can say is, start, keep reading, and you'll see what I mean.
March 22, 2012
I remember seeing the Kabuki comics everywhere, all the time when I was a teenager and I remember all of the super striking covers I'd see every time I went to the comic bookstore, but I was wary of their hot asian lady exploitation and never picked one up. I recently came across this at the library though and thought I'd give it a try.
I get a similar feeling reading David Mack as I do reading some of the other big male comics guys like Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman. There's just a little too much juvenile teenage male in them for me to feel really convinced of them as the geniuses that a lot of their male readership seems to think they are. I feel like the adolescent, over the top quality of their writing has gotten even more exaggerated with time, since there are so many modern, truly adult graphic novels being published now like Essex County by Jeff Lemire or Chris Ware's stuff. It is possible play with fantasy, action, sci fi, and horror genre conventions, but still have stories and characters that feel real and adult, but their work really teeters on the edge for me. I can recognize how ambitious these comics seemed at the time when they were first published, but these days they seem a little bit ridiculous.
Anyway, if Kabuki was a movie, it would definitely be a total cult movie. I'm picturing a lady ninja version of Repo: A Genetic Opera starring Michele Yeoh and Maggie Cheung, as exemplified by the fact that every time my boyfriend would look over my shoulder as I was reading he'd be like, "Woah wtf are you reading!" Normally this is the kind of thing I'd be more on board with, but I just felt like the writing and the characters were way too overboard. He hammers way too hard on the Japanese inspiration/theme, using the Japanese flag as a CONSTANT visual theme and I just couldn't get over the ridiculousness of the whole asian avenging angel wet dream and the women-in-refrigerator back story. The story takes itself way too seriously for what it is.
Even the art looked kind of dated in its visual style to me. Mack definitely has a great command of graphics and his use of black and white is very cinematic and striking, but there's still enough of that 80's/90's look to the drawing to drag those other elements down. Not so into it.
I get a similar feeling reading David Mack as I do reading some of the other big male comics guys like Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman. There's just a little too much juvenile teenage male in them for me to feel really convinced of them as the geniuses that a lot of their male readership seems to think they are. I feel like the adolescent, over the top quality of their writing has gotten even more exaggerated with time, since there are so many modern, truly adult graphic novels being published now like Essex County by Jeff Lemire or Chris Ware's stuff. It is possible play with fantasy, action, sci fi, and horror genre conventions, but still have stories and characters that feel real and adult, but their work really teeters on the edge for me. I can recognize how ambitious these comics seemed at the time when they were first published, but these days they seem a little bit ridiculous.
Anyway, if Kabuki was a movie, it would definitely be a total cult movie. I'm picturing a lady ninja version of Repo: A Genetic Opera starring Michele Yeoh and Maggie Cheung, as exemplified by the fact that every time my boyfriend would look over my shoulder as I was reading he'd be like, "Woah wtf are you reading!" Normally this is the kind of thing I'd be more on board with, but I just felt like the writing and the characters were way too overboard. He hammers way too hard on the Japanese inspiration/theme, using the Japanese flag as a CONSTANT visual theme and I just couldn't get over the ridiculousness of the whole asian avenging angel wet dream and the women-in-refrigerator back story. The story takes itself way too seriously for what it is.
Even the art looked kind of dated in its visual style to me. Mack definitely has a great command of graphics and his use of black and white is very cinematic and striking, but there's still enough of that 80's/90's look to the drawing to drag those other elements down. Not so into it.
February 17, 2016
David Mack uses mixed mediums to create these crazy awesome pieces of art. There's also some kick ass story telling.
September 5, 2009
I tried picking Kabuki up in the middle, and it seemed intense and rich but a little opaque, in its meandering narrative and manipulation of standard comic book art and formats. I'm very glad I began at the beginning with this. David Mack's style is very, for lack of a better word, "artistic", and it's satisfying to be told a fairly traditional genre story (super-fighting woman, organized crime, secret police force that keeps the balance, paternity and origin issues) with as much freedom as Kabuki has. He seems to be emphasizing sensory experience, in particular, as well as spending a lot more time really in the perceptual reality of the character (not just meaning frames for her POV, but whole elliptical sequences of art and impression that play with memory and the medium Mack is working in). I read this on a flight from Chicago to New York and am really glad I finally did - I'll continue with Kabuki, now that the story's been grounded for me in this compelling first arc.
September 9, 2007
David Mack really made me wonder, where have I been in my previous life? Where did those precious time go? Why did I always waste such productive time to develop my skill?
As a struggling-amateur-comic artist-wannabe, this superb book was like a slap in my face. He created this divinely wonderful book as a dissertation in order to graduate from his art college, when he was still 22!!! Artistically drawn in B/W, with stunning accuracy in human anatomy, this book is like a radiant treasure before my eyes. I lost count how many times I re-read this book. Alongside his breath-taking pictures, the story itself is astonishing as well, for its noir-mood and its relentless tragedy on it.
Kabuki's the name of a young-despondent woman, who's apparently one of the 8 deadliest secret agents in Japan. I love how Mr. Mack created those characters with such elaborate details on them. Even their names are very appealing, for being an irony for their cruel and fierce outlook.
There were Scarab, Tigerlily, Ice, Siamese, Snapdragon, and Butoh. I want to describe the personalities of each characters, but it would be too long for a review, hence the lack of surprise for the new curious readers out there. OK I'll make it brief.
This book is about love, despair, grudge, and being lost. Full of metaphorical symbolisms blend with lucidity, which undoubtedly designate David Mack as one of the greatest comic artist and writer of this century.
Hehe from the review above you must be think that I am ready to join David Mack sect, if there's any :-).
Oh one more thing, my favorite scenes were the womb scene, where the little embryo of Kabuki was still growing inside her mother's womb. And the rape scene. There were no gory images, instead the brutality was depicted only by the changing facial expressions of the victim who was wallowing in agony. Brilliant!!
As a struggling-amateur-comic artist-wannabe, this superb book was like a slap in my face. He created this divinely wonderful book as a dissertation in order to graduate from his art college, when he was still 22!!! Artistically drawn in B/W, with stunning accuracy in human anatomy, this book is like a radiant treasure before my eyes. I lost count how many times I re-read this book. Alongside his breath-taking pictures, the story itself is astonishing as well, for its noir-mood and its relentless tragedy on it.
Kabuki's the name of a young-despondent woman, who's apparently one of the 8 deadliest secret agents in Japan. I love how Mr. Mack created those characters with such elaborate details on them. Even their names are very appealing, for being an irony for their cruel and fierce outlook.
There were Scarab, Tigerlily, Ice, Siamese, Snapdragon, and Butoh. I want to describe the personalities of each characters, but it would be too long for a review, hence the lack of surprise for the new curious readers out there. OK I'll make it brief.
This book is about love, despair, grudge, and being lost. Full of metaphorical symbolisms blend with lucidity, which undoubtedly designate David Mack as one of the greatest comic artist and writer of this century.
Hehe from the review above you must be think that I am ready to join David Mack sect, if there's any :-).
Oh one more thing, my favorite scenes were the womb scene, where the little embryo of Kabuki was still growing inside her mother's womb. And the rape scene. There were no gory images, instead the brutality was depicted only by the changing facial expressions of the victim who was wallowing in agony. Brilliant!!
June 17, 2016
This was a decent graphic novel that reminded me a lot of the Kill Bill movies. The story basically looks at Japanese government and the yakuza. There is a secret organization that has a number of women assassins that work for them, one of these assassins is Kabuki. The story alternates between the yakuza/government scenes, the assassination scenes, and more intimate scenes where we learn about Kabuki’s past and how she ended up as she is now.
I enjoyed the scenes where Kabuki talks about her past and her thoughts. She is really the only character in this book you get to know at all and these scenes were a bit surreal as well as very engaging.
I didn’t enjoy the yakuza/government scenes as much because these involved the quick introduction of many many characters that honestly weren’t around long enough to care about.
The artwork is all black and white and has a very sci-fi noir vibe to it; lots of sleek lines and 80’s looking sci-fi costumes. Generally the artwork made the story easier to follow; although some of the action scenes got a bit confusing.
I appreciated the whole uber-violence as art and the commentary on the fine line between government and organized crime. However, it’s not something I found all that engaging and not the type of thing I would read again.
Overall a well done sci-fi uber-violent femme fatale type of graphic novel. There is some excellent artistry here and some interesting (if seen before) social commentary. It’s all well put together. I found the parts focusing on the government and organized crime to be a bit hard to follow at times (just too many characters that looked too similar) but really enjoyed the more ambiguous chapters where Kabuki comments on her past and present.
I enjoyed the scenes where Kabuki talks about her past and her thoughts. She is really the only character in this book you get to know at all and these scenes were a bit surreal as well as very engaging.
I didn’t enjoy the yakuza/government scenes as much because these involved the quick introduction of many many characters that honestly weren’t around long enough to care about.
The artwork is all black and white and has a very sci-fi noir vibe to it; lots of sleek lines and 80’s looking sci-fi costumes. Generally the artwork made the story easier to follow; although some of the action scenes got a bit confusing.
I appreciated the whole uber-violence as art and the commentary on the fine line between government and organized crime. However, it’s not something I found all that engaging and not the type of thing I would read again.
Overall a well done sci-fi uber-violent femme fatale type of graphic novel. There is some excellent artistry here and some interesting (if seen before) social commentary. It’s all well put together. I found the parts focusing on the government and organized crime to be a bit hard to follow at times (just too many characters that looked too similar) but really enjoyed the more ambiguous chapters where Kabuki comments on her past and present.
September 21, 2008
The first time I read Circle of Blood, I didn't think it was that great. I was mainly turned off by the black and white artwork and over the top violence. However, upon reading it a second time, I was able to look past the lack of color to see how amazing the artwork really is.
Kabuki contains arguably the best artwork you will ever see in comics. Different styles of art are used to express different emotions. An image from one scene "fades" into another creating visual connections all throughout the work.
The violence, which I initially thought gratuitous, finds its place in a second reading. Circle of Blood is more than just a revenge fantasy. David Mack tells a story with echoes of Alice in Wonderland as well as a traditional Japanese ghost story. He is one of those extremely rare people who is both a top of the line writer as well as an excellent artist.
Kabuki contains arguably the best artwork you will ever see in comics. Different styles of art are used to express different emotions. An image from one scene "fades" into another creating visual connections all throughout the work.
The violence, which I initially thought gratuitous, finds its place in a second reading. Circle of Blood is more than just a revenge fantasy. David Mack tells a story with echoes of Alice in Wonderland as well as a traditional Japanese ghost story. He is one of those extremely rare people who is both a top of the line writer as well as an excellent artist.
March 2, 2016
I really wanted to like the Kabuki series. I'd read the Scarab book first and loved it. David Mack's art is phenomenal. However I just couldn't get into the main Kabuki issues. I just wanted to stare at David Mack's art.
January 23, 2020
I like the world building of Mack’s world and the artwork is on another level but I have issues with the story which feels very dated and I don’t just mean the musical references.
While I appreciate what Mack is doing as far as the connection between individuals and government and the cultural observations he makes about Japan, the character of Kabuki feels like a caricature.
Interesting but I didn’t care for it enough to read any more of the series.
While I appreciate what Mack is doing as far as the connection between individuals and government and the cultural observations he makes about Japan, the character of Kabuki feels like a caricature.
Interesting but I didn’t care for it enough to read any more of the series.
March 15, 2017
The first volume of the acclaimed Kabuki series is nothing less than an impressive, inimitable work of genius. Stunning panel work, a beautiful story of revenge, and symbolism out the wazoo make for the perfect intro to an iconic series.
The fact that the work is in black and white only makes the effort all the more impressive. This is the one that started it all; one read and you'll be begging for more.
The fact that the work is in black and white only makes the effort all the more impressive. This is the one that started it all; one read and you'll be begging for more.
September 14, 2013
One of the most appalling and depressing things to me about the movie industry is that this comic has STILL not been made into a film. It would be hands down the greatest, classiest, most cerebral action movie ever made, putting even "The Matrix" to shame (In fact, I'm rather surprised they bothered making something OTHER than this film in the first place, as I doubt they weren't inspired by it, and wouldn't be surprised if they did some day; maybe they just didn't want to be too obvious...?P It's a total no brainer: the comic itself is so cinematic in style, it's basically a perfectly stylized storyboard already, all you need is the actors and special effects, and one heck of a director i guess... maybe I AM glad it didn't get butchered; it could have ended up like "Aeon Flux"... *shudder*.../
This book was DEEP into Japanese culture WAY before it was big like it is today, cerebrally sexy and cyberpunk STILL FAR ahead of its time, has a bizarre, surreal sense of playfulness, and flirts heavily with the experimental edges of sequential art (the later installments in the series seemed to take much greater liberties experimenting with the art stylings, but none of them managed to bring me back in to my satisfaction, sadly.../ The sense of design, layout, pacing, and negative / positive space, all are manipulated joyfully and to great, subtle, powerful effect. He certainly seemed to take the challenge of infusing the spirit of Japanese zen into an American action cyber-thriller comic quite seriously, and adeptly.
This book was DEEP into Japanese culture WAY before it was big like it is today, cerebrally sexy and cyberpunk STILL FAR ahead of its time, has a bizarre, surreal sense of playfulness, and flirts heavily with the experimental edges of sequential art (the later installments in the series seemed to take much greater liberties experimenting with the art stylings, but none of them managed to bring me back in to my satisfaction, sadly.../ The sense of design, layout, pacing, and negative / positive space, all are manipulated joyfully and to great, subtle, powerful effect. He certainly seemed to take the challenge of infusing the spirit of Japanese zen into an American action cyber-thriller comic quite seriously, and adeptly.
November 9, 2015
KABUKI Series is my greatest inspiration to everything I do. I was gifted with this book by my then boyfriend, who said I reminded him of the character of this book. Oh boy, he was right. The best part of my realisation is that this story is written by a white guy from a Japanese girl first person point of view. That is amazing, for someone to understand write so deeply from a asian female perspective. I was more curious about the author after reading this series. That was the beginning of my quest to find my truths.
I met David Mack at the Comic Convention last year and got all my volumes signed. Somehow all the questions I wanted to ask him dissolved. Just looking at him signing those volumes made me feel contented and that the answers don't lie with him but myself. Believe me I read the KABUKI series many many times over many many years and each time, I discover something new about myself I previously did not realise. This is a self discovery book, that allows the reader to find themselves in the series. It's contemplative and questioning.
These series gave me the motivation to write my novel, that no matter where I am located, I can always write as someone from a different place or culture. Such is the power of the narrative form.
I highly recommend this series and I still (20 years later since it is first published) look forward to a movie adaptation. I would definitely audition for the role of KABUKI herself! *dreams.
I met David Mack at the Comic Convention last year and got all my volumes signed. Somehow all the questions I wanted to ask him dissolved. Just looking at him signing those volumes made me feel contented and that the answers don't lie with him but myself. Believe me I read the KABUKI series many many times over many many years and each time, I discover something new about myself I previously did not realise. This is a self discovery book, that allows the reader to find themselves in the series. It's contemplative and questioning.
These series gave me the motivation to write my novel, that no matter where I am located, I can always write as someone from a different place or culture. Such is the power of the narrative form.
I highly recommend this series and I still (20 years later since it is first published) look forward to a movie adaptation. I would definitely audition for the role of KABUKI herself! *dreams.
July 31, 2009
My issue is that I don't really know how to read graphic novels effectively. I feel this novel would have been a lot better and a lot more symbolic, had I gotten the deeper meaning by better combining pictures and text. The artwork is gorgeous, which was my original reason for reading this nook! The text, too, is very insightful.
"You can't kill time... without injuring eternity. Time always catches up with you."
Basically, this book is about a young woman's struggle being stuck in between politics and crime, the world of the living and the world of the dead. As an assassin, she uses her toolbox to effectively get jobs done, while also struggling with some familial issues and discovering where she belongs.
"You can't kill time... without injuring eternity. Time always catches up with you."
Basically, this book is about a young woman's struggle being stuck in between politics and crime, the world of the living and the world of the dead. As an assassin, she uses her toolbox to effectively get jobs done, while also struggling with some familial issues and discovering where she belongs.
December 11, 2010
I kinda went about reading this series backwards. I randomly picked up The Alchemy (which is the last book) at the library and ZOMG it's so good! Like amazing and maybe the most beautiful graphic novel ever. Just loved it. So now I'm starting at the beginning and it's a great start. It's just black and white yet still has so many pages I could just rip out and frame. The complex story is told with relatively few words and great artwork. It's not so complicated that reading the last one was a total waste but this definitely gives The Alchemy helpful background.
January 11, 2011
I recently read this for the second time and was much more impressed, especially when I later learned that Mack did this as an undergraduate for a class project! It certainly inspires me to put my own words and images together in the near future.
May 20, 2017
SOfar I have only read this book, but it sucked me right in. There's so much going on, and it's also interesting and fascinating. I'm rather picky about my graphic novels and manga, so I was surprised to enjoy this book so much. I will be buying the rest of the series!
June 25, 2014
I don't even know where to start with this book! I was reluctant to read it. It was recommended to me by a patron at the library. Generally, I am not a fan of just black and white comics. It took me a while to actually pick it up and start it. Once I did, I could not put it down.
October 28, 2023
Whew, what a ride!
If comics are vehicles, Kabuki is a heavy freight train with the reader either on the tracks or (for the sake of the metaphor) as the driver. With its rails on water, one easily slows down to fall into a glob of Japanese culture, Asian gangs and history; the perversely dark waters of the 20th century. Be too fast though, and you miss out on the glimmer of the rays hitting the water level or artistic detail that is David Mack's craft.
To be honest I did not have the patience to read slowly during the build-up. Kabuki Vol. 1 is definitely inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight and Sin city in its calligraphic black&White style (to be fair, both are inspired by Japanes ink-craft), but it is filled to the brim with a rich and profound stash of symbols, optical illusions, knowledge of Japanese culture and societal issues. I can imagine this to have been pitched very favorably during the Japanomania/mangarage of the 90s/2000s. The story bogs down during Acts 1-4, but picks up the tempo before the finale. There was symbolism of Western commercial pop-culture and literary high-culture that flew past my understanding (probably something how Japan interpreta Western entertainment), but some other helpful critic on the internet must have you covered on that front elsewhere. Topics such as trauma, war, fear, evil and vengeance are first that come to my mind,
The continuation, Vol. 2 is even more abstract with the visuals one sees on a Sandman cover or in Arkham Asylum. It's really hard to pull off the balance between flimsily meaningless and emotionally gripping, as experimental abstraction and metaphor like collages often dissociate the action of a story and distracts from immersion by what the reader is used to.
1-3 felt more like 3 stars for me (felt more like art for artists and concept-juggling), it definitely would have worked as a deeper dive in Japanese culture would I have not had a quite comprehensive understanding of it already. I did feel though like it hit me similarly with many topics as Lone wolf & Cub did in the past, Mack has indeed done his research.
If comics are vehicles, Kabuki is a heavy freight train with the reader either on the tracks or (for the sake of the metaphor) as the driver. With its rails on water, one easily slows down to fall into a glob of Japanese culture, Asian gangs and history; the perversely dark waters of the 20th century. Be too fast though, and you miss out on the glimmer of the rays hitting the water level or artistic detail that is David Mack's craft.
To be honest I did not have the patience to read slowly during the build-up. Kabuki Vol. 1 is definitely inspired by Frank Miller's Dark Knight and Sin city in its calligraphic black&White style (to be fair, both are inspired by Japanes ink-craft), but it is filled to the brim with a rich and profound stash of symbols, optical illusions, knowledge of Japanese culture and societal issues. I can imagine this to have been pitched very favorably during the Japanomania/mangarage of the 90s/2000s. The story bogs down during Acts 1-4, but picks up the tempo before the finale. There was symbolism of Western commercial pop-culture and literary high-culture that flew past my understanding (probably something how Japan interpreta Western entertainment), but some other helpful critic on the internet must have you covered on that front elsewhere. Topics such as trauma, war, fear, evil and vengeance are first that come to my mind,
The continuation, Vol. 2 is even more abstract with the visuals one sees on a Sandman cover or in Arkham Asylum. It's really hard to pull off the balance between flimsily meaningless and emotionally gripping, as experimental abstraction and metaphor like collages often dissociate the action of a story and distracts from immersion by what the reader is used to.
1-3 felt more like 3 stars for me (felt more like art for artists and concept-juggling), it definitely would have worked as a deeper dive in Japanese culture would I have not had a quite comprehensive understanding of it already. I did feel though like it hit me similarly with many topics as Lone wolf & Cub did in the past, Mack has indeed done his research.
March 17, 2023
Overall series -
Perhaps the most uniquely structured and visually creative graphic novel series I've ever read.
The narrative and artistic styles of Kabuki are incredibly dynamic ranging from beautifully illustrated black and white panel-driven storytelling to colorful and formless compositions illustrated through a vast and intermixed array of mediums like watercolor, collage, photography, woodcuts, paper craft, rotoscoping, oil painting, etc. The lettering is equally complex ranging from diary-like handwriting to calligraphy, expansive use of typefaces, and occasional pictographic language. I can't imagine how long this took to construct, every page has so much creativity it's astounding that Mack and the team didn't run out of ideas after hundreds of pages.
The story is largely good but gets a bit too bogged down in introspection and unnecessary side plots. However, Kabuki can also be quite poetic and articulate, if not a tad pretentious, and much of the analytical / metaphysical writing is pretty intriguing. The slow burn writing style and abstract subject material is a bit of a catch 22 for me as it makes the story feel a bit repetitive and plodding yet also provides excellent scaffolding for the incredible art & daring structure.
If you like art house works, unique / incredible art, or like narratives which simply can't be expressed outside a graphic novel Kabuki is for you. This series isn't talked about enough and is something more people should read. 8.5 / 10
P.S. I argue you should entirely skip "Masks of Noh" and "Scarab" as the stories depicted aren't important to the overall plot and while drawn well they don't have the multimedia flair of the rest of the series.
Perhaps the most uniquely structured and visually creative graphic novel series I've ever read.
The narrative and artistic styles of Kabuki are incredibly dynamic ranging from beautifully illustrated black and white panel-driven storytelling to colorful and formless compositions illustrated through a vast and intermixed array of mediums like watercolor, collage, photography, woodcuts, paper craft, rotoscoping, oil painting, etc. The lettering is equally complex ranging from diary-like handwriting to calligraphy, expansive use of typefaces, and occasional pictographic language. I can't imagine how long this took to construct, every page has so much creativity it's astounding that Mack and the team didn't run out of ideas after hundreds of pages.
The story is largely good but gets a bit too bogged down in introspection and unnecessary side plots. However, Kabuki can also be quite poetic and articulate, if not a tad pretentious, and much of the analytical / metaphysical writing is pretty intriguing. The slow burn writing style and abstract subject material is a bit of a catch 22 for me as it makes the story feel a bit repetitive and plodding yet also provides excellent scaffolding for the incredible art & daring structure.
If you like art house works, unique / incredible art, or like narratives which simply can't be expressed outside a graphic novel Kabuki is for you. This series isn't talked about enough and is something more people should read. 8.5 / 10
P.S. I argue you should entirely skip "Masks of Noh" and "Scarab" as the stories depicted aren't important to the overall plot and while drawn well they don't have the multimedia flair of the rest of the series.
March 6, 2020
I first read this book when I was a teen and I remember being deeply impressed by it. Some of the moments have stuck in my head ever since. I looked it up recently because I've been thinking about the books that have really impacted my life and I wanted to see if the experience of reading it was different as an adult. It was, but mostly because I understood it better and could see more clearly the depth of art and thought had had gone into making this book.
In a futuristic/sci fi Japan, a group of secret government assassins work to keep the balance between organized crime and the government. This book focuses on one of the assassins, Kabuki, showing us where she came from and how she got to be who she is and what she does about it.
This is a very violent book, but a lot of the violence happens off screen. There is a chapter where each of the agents murders someone very brutally, but the murders are talked about in the text, instead of being shown in the pictures. Trigger warning: there are two rape sequences and lots of descriptions of violence as well as images of violence, including violence done to children.
Technical note: there is a lot of text that is written with ink on black and some of that was really hard to read.
I think I need to read the rest of the series now, but maybe I should take a break in between to consume something a little more cheerful.
In a futuristic/sci fi Japan, a group of secret government assassins work to keep the balance between organized crime and the government. This book focuses on one of the assassins, Kabuki, showing us where she came from and how she got to be who she is and what she does about it.
This is a very violent book, but a lot of the violence happens off screen. There is a chapter where each of the agents murders someone very brutally, but the murders are talked about in the text, instead of being shown in the pictures. Trigger warning: there are two rape sequences and lots of descriptions of violence as well as images of violence, including violence done to children.
Technical note: there is a lot of text that is written with ink on black and some of that was really hard to read.
I think I need to read the rest of the series now, but maybe I should take a break in between to consume something a little more cheerful.
December 3, 2017
This review covers volumes #1-5 of these series.
Sometimes I want to give this comics story "1 Star". The art is constantly incredible and really, it's not the story. In fact, very little time or plot occurs over these initial five volumes.
David Mack's Painted Art is Hauntingly Beautiful. This an extremely different use of the medium--instead, focusing on memories, thoughts, and meanderings with a dreamlike quality. Many scenes are revisited with new perspective (approached through a new lens and a new art style perhaps).
My only criticism is--that it's perhaps too much experimentation and not enough evolution, growth and closure. It's clear why this is a "pet project" and a cult favorite rather than a mainstream phenomenon.
It's in some ways akin to David Sim trajectory with the medium, albeit nowhere near as insane.
Sometimes I want to give this comics story "1 Star". The art is constantly incredible and really, it's not the story. In fact, very little time or plot occurs over these initial five volumes.
David Mack's Painted Art is Hauntingly Beautiful. This an extremely different use of the medium--instead, focusing on memories, thoughts, and meanderings with a dreamlike quality. Many scenes are revisited with new perspective (approached through a new lens and a new art style perhaps).
My only criticism is--that it's perhaps too much experimentation and not enough evolution, growth and closure. It's clear why this is a "pet project" and a cult favorite rather than a mainstream phenomenon.
It's in some ways akin to David Sim trajectory with the medium, albeit nowhere near as insane.
September 20, 2019
I very deeply love me some near-future cyberpunk and so there were things about this I liked a lot -- the style, in particular, good setting, good linework, the integration of lettering, a lot of it was great. But that style was mostly applied to naked women and violence against same. None of the lady assassins ever get to wear clothes (but don't worry, their skintight skincolored silk is bulletproof!!) -- I seriously do not think there is a single spread without a hot naked woman -- and there are multiple entire pages of closeups on rape. The writing is overwrought and sometimes that's good noir and sometimes it's bad nonsense. Like there's also a whole page where the bad guy is listening to Sting's Shape of My Heart and playing the world's most melodramatic game of solitaire. It's all very 90s.
April 13, 2022
Fantastic noir graphic novel. It is a tale of murder and political intrigue, only slightly marred by some of the over-the-top nature of the villains (like the Japanese cowboy wannabe). It feels very much like The Crow with a Japanese twist - and uses a similar black and white stylization, but it is also its own thing. The true plot is masked behind layers, and the deep and intimate knowledge of Japanese culture shines through without making it appear touristy or kitschy.
Mack's brilliant and unconventional use of paneling, heavy blacks, and fascinating character designs really elevate this above most of the graphic novel medium. You can see why this is so renowned but also relatively obscure. This could never be properly made into a film, for instance, and the graphicness of some of the panels it keeps it from being popularized.
Highly recommended reading.
Mack's brilliant and unconventional use of paneling, heavy blacks, and fascinating character designs really elevate this above most of the graphic novel medium. You can see why this is so renowned but also relatively obscure. This could never be properly made into a film, for instance, and the graphicness of some of the panels it keeps it from being popularized.
Highly recommended reading.
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