I must admit - I am not a fan of Manga. Honestly, I could almost say that I hate it. You must understand that I am a child of the 80's. I grew up watching some of the greatest cartoons ever made including Thundercats, TMNT, Transformers, and GI Joe. Now, years later, I turn on the TV and wonder "What happened to all the good cartoons." It seems that media has become saturated with Japanese animation. I look at Saturday morning cartoons and many current popular shows and notice that they all feature characteristics common to Japanese animation. Furthermore, at bookstores around the nation, graphic novels and comic book sections are being downsized and replaced with large Manga sections. Please note, I am not opposed to the Japanese culture or what they have to offer. I have many friends who are Japanese or live in Japan. I even hope to visit there sometime soon. What I am saying is that if given a choice between artists like Jim Lee and George Perez or a mainstream Japanese artist, I will choose Jim Lee every time.
So, when I read the DC was going to release a Batman limited series written and drawn by one of Japan's most popular Manga artisits, I was skeptical to say the least. When the first issue was released, I flipped though it and decided not to buy it in sigle issue form, but instead wait for the trade to be released. At that point, I would review it again. Then, last week, a rather light pull list and a 20% discount off of new trades at my local shop were enough to convince me to pick up a copy of Batman: Death Mask by esteemed author and artist Yoshinori Natsume. The trade collects all the issues of the miniseries in a compact, manga-sized edition for only $9.99!
Overall, I was extremely pleased with this book. The general tone of the art was what I expected, and although I initially decided to simply "endure" it, by the end of the book, I found myself enjoying the art more and more. I still prefer a style like Jim Lee, but I did find myself enjoying Natsume's use of lines to show motion or flashbacks and his use of shadowing in appropriate areas. I also really enjoyed Natsume's great use of onomatopoeia. Each page contained references such as "Bang, "Rumble," "Woosh," and others. While some might view his use of onomatopoeia as too extreme (when compared to American comics), I found it enjoyable, feeling as if I could actually "hear" the action. This aspect of Natsume's work is something I would like to see more in American comics. Finally, I really enjoyed the storyline. It was great to see an artist connect his culture and history with that of a well-known character. The storyline seemed to fit well into the current continuity and was not so extravagant that it would have to be labeled an "Elseworlds" story. I felt that by reading this I got to know more about the man, Bruce Wayne, and how he has been shaped into the vigilante known as the Batman.
