Out now from Europe Comics, this first part of the series is an interesting read. This is Yojimbot part 1.
In a dystopian not-too-distant future in Japan, Hiro lives with his father on an island populated by androids, where they eke out a meager existence while trying to keep out of sight. But when they run afoul of a troop of high-tech military thugs, Hiro’s dad sacrifices himself to save his son, turning Hiro’s already-bleak world upside-down. He is then rescued by a samurai robot called a “yojimbot,” and together they seek to avenge his father’s death and make contact with a mysterious associate known only as the “rights holder,” before the soldiers and their drones close in…
Script and art by Sylvain Repos
As a beginning, this issue really gets you involved, there are so many questions that I have after this first issue.
The story features the samurai robot (the Yojimbot) training, and at first, defending the runaway father and son. The problem being is that once the robot realises that it is fighting humans it shuts down.
Rewind from there first, we need to have some answers. Why are the duo running? Where are they running from? Where do they want to go?
These are all questions that we need answers to, but we only get some tantalizing hints towards the answers. They are good teases nevertheless, and it gives some way forward for the protagonists.
The father and the son, make their way through the forest, and are attacked by a group of humans. The father refuses to give the information that they want, and is gunned down. This is where our samurai robot comes back. Whether he breaks his programming, or there is some sort of outside force, is left vague, but the fight scene after isn’t.
In theory, this story could have squeezed more information into the first issue, but the decompression does allow us to enjoy some amazing scenes.
The art is amazingly shown, I love the fight scenes – including the training at the beginning. It gives a real anime feel to it. That, with the colouring make this an enjoyable and easy on the eye read.
This is an excellent start and something I would like to read more of.
