The clash of feudal cultures with a touch of fantasy begins in Knights Vs. Samurai #1! The Spike documentary series, Deadliest Warrior, had such match ups of warriors and historical figures using science, computers, and effects. Though there were no knights vs. samurai battles in an episode. The creative team is David Dastmalchian and Fede Mele. Dastmalchian also wrote the Headless Horseman comic with Leah Kilpatrick. Mele has provided art for Spawn covers including Sam and Twitch: Case Files #7. Todd McFarlane is the creative director. The consultant is Theresa Matsuura who hosts the Uncanny Japan podcast. The cover of the first issue by Raymond Gay has the helmets of a knight and samurai facing each toher over a fierce battle of warriors and a dragon breathing fire!
A closeup of eyes, a young knight, Charles Ward, carries a battle axe. There was a Charles Dexter Ward, who was a H.P. Lovecraft character. A dragon with a snake head and wings is latched onto a ship! He swings at the monster which is mocked by his brother, Bennett, hanging from a rope with his longsword. Bennett calls Charles “little brother” though he was born two minutes before him. He swings and slashes at the reptile’s cheek. In shadow, Bennett leaps to slay the dragon. Charles tosses his axe, a blur, then it buries into the creature’s neck! The dragon roars and then rears back. A nice merge of dragonslaying and a clipper ship out of sailing adventures. Bennett is about to say it was a good throw, then he is skewered by the beast’s tail! In an insert panel, a shocked face of Charles. The dragon sinks underneath the ship. Charles tries to reach out for his brother, but he falls over the bow into the sea. He wakes up screaming at the memory.
Charles is in a cabin in the day. He is met by Sir Robert Jarrow, the commander of the royal army, and dresses to meet the duke. Charles has been knighted, he takes a staff which he strikes against poles, as they walk into the city. He doesn’t want awards for killing the dragon, Persa. The commander warns Charles about saying the duke only wants the glory. There is a young boy that looks at them. Next, a closeup of the duke’s laughing face. There is a pantomime showing a knight fighting a dragon which is set in front of dinner tables. A scene that seems like it is out of A Knight's Tale (2001). This is a renactment of the battle of the duke. A closeup of Emma, the woman sitting next to Charles. The duke announces that they have suffered from dragons, but the last dragon of the Northern sea was destroyed. Cheers go up. He knights and dubs Sir Charles the Dragon Butcher!
The ceremony is interrupted by a man held by two knights. He is scrawny and the duke recognizes him as Baggi. The duke calls for doctors and then for Baggi to be brought to the counsel hall. Afterwards, Emma says to Charles that he had just come back from his expedition. Sir Robert then takes Charles to the counsel hall. It is a dark hall with trophies of a dragon head, a lion head, and the bed with Baggi attended by the doctors. The duke greets Sir Charles and tells him in confidence about a mission to send missioaries to the east. We see demons attack them, the duke describes them as a barbarians, and says that they enslave men and women. The samurai wore Men-yoroi masks like the helmet seen on the cover to look like oni to give strength. The duke’s advisor, Baggi, survived, and now he wants Charles to defeat the enemy so he can bring in missionaries. On 1549, the Portuguese Catholics first arrived in Japan.
Charles accepts the mission. At sunset, he consoles Emma and says she wil be in charge of the building of their home. He promises to return before the first Autumn leaf falls. Charles says he has love for her and hatred of dragons. Emma says they’re extinct. A very quiet scene as we see the couple embrace in shadow as the sun sets. The next day, a massive ship is at port, Sir Robert says the captain, Morcart, is a pirate. They will follow the path set by Baggi, sailing in Norse waters to the Kara Sea (part of the Arctic Ocean), and finally to the “Devil’s Island.” The name given by the missionaries. A giant hauls a crate above him. Baggi is the guide, he is escorted to the ship by the duke, Charles asks the duke if Baggi is in any condition for a voyage. The duke says Baggi will bring the missionaries once Devil’s Island is conquered. The duke promises that his manor will be finished when Charles returns.
He cheers on the Dragon Butcher, but then we see the tears on Emma’s face. The captain, Morcart, warns the crew that they can swim back. Charles says that Sir Robert had selected the crew. Morcart asserts that it is his ship, then has Charles make his announcement. Charles makes a speech that their mission will be fast, then they can return to their families, and also that Captain Morcart’s orders are to be followed. After the speech, the German knight, Wulfhelm, mocks it. Charles is defended by the giant, Mundric, interesting character, not many giant characters since Fezzic in Princess Bride (1987). Also coming to his defense is the lady knight, Ayleth, very cool, a knight like Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones. Charles tells them to be on the lookout for sea beasts and also to learn from the pirates since they may have a smaller crew! Morcart says that Wulfhelm and Baggi are the duke’s “untouchables.”
#KnightsVsSamurai, #DavidDastmalchian, #FedeMele, #ToddMcFarlane, #TheresaMatsuura, #RaymondGay, #SirCharles, #DragonButcher, #Emma, #SirRobertJarrow, #Duke, #Baggi, #
No comments:
Post a Comment