Shawn O'Rourke Comic Reviews

The powerful-men-try-to-manipulate-the-super-assassin-only-to-discover-that-he-is-coming-to-kill-them-all story works in limited doses to grab fans, but it may not keep them. Hopefully the creative team will either break the series into tightly knit and focused arcs (like Brubaker and Philips' Criminal, or will find innovative takes on the action badass story (like Ennis and Dillon on Punisher) to keep us intrigued. Only time will tell but judging by the first issue it seems that the creators know what they're doing. We've taken the bait, now let's hope they set the hook!

It remains to be determined whether Samurai's Blood will rise to a position of significance in the cannon of warrior tales or fade into the periphery of the genre like many that have come before. Yet if the first issue is any indication of the future, it is clear that the creators have proven that they are at least self-aware of the obstacles they face and have taken direct steps to meet the challenge. They may not be successful but it is an effort worthy of a samurai.

One of the main goals for DC's relaunch was to grab readers who may never have picked up a comicbook before while avoiding alienating longtime readers. Teen Titans #1 is, in my opinion, one of books that truly fulfills this agenda. It finds a great equilibrium between the fun that made many of us first pick up comics, and the narrative strength that kept us reading them.