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Review: 5 Ronin #2

By | March 11th, 2011
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Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Dalibor Talajic

5 Books, 5 Heroes–1 unforgettable story of heroes pushed to their limits. It is 17th century Japan, a time and place of violent upheaval, wandering Ronin, and mysterious Geisha. Into this strange and dangerous world come Wolverine, Pyslocke, Punisher, Hulk and Deadpool. Five of Marvel’s greatest heroes…as you’ve never seen them before. Each has been wronged by a powerful tyrant. Each has taken a solemn vow…of vengeance!

5 Books, 5 Heroes, 5 Weeks…1 spell-binding story.

You know what’s awesome? Samurai movies. Samurai movies are awesome. So you know what vicariously should also be pretty awesome? Samurai comic books. Samurai comic books should vicariously be awesome. So if you take Peter Milligan, give him five different artists, and have him redefine characters to make them samurais, you know what you should theoretically have? An awesome samurai movie inspired comic book.

But is it really awesome? Take a look behind the cut for the full review!

The first issue of 5 Ronin brought us to feudal Japan to follow the adventures of a Wolverine-esque ronin as he wandered the plains, searching for meaning. It was a great start to what is almost assuredly going to be a very well set-up interconnecting mini. With the second issue, we’re given the Hulk, who is now a nameless monk sitting atop a mountain searching for inner peace. And not only is it a great issue, it actually might just be better than the last!

Admittedly, one might assume that the Hulk could theoretically be the weakest of the of the five issues. The rest of the Ronin (Punisher, Psylocke, and Deadpool) are all characters who fit somewhat into an idea (or at least represent most of the members of X-Force). These are all characters who are very willing to kill and take assignments to get done what needs to be done in the regular 616 universe. However, Hulk doesn’t fit into that group so easily. The Hulk isn’t a killer – he’s a torn man seeking refuge from his inner demons while trying to adjust in a world that fears and hates him. And wouldn’t you know it, but this just happens to translate rather perfectly into a samurai story.

The issue, which is part Yojimbo, part Kung Fu and part Shogun Assassin, features a nameless monk on a mountain who is approached by villagers to help deal with an impending threat. However, since all he wants to do is be left alone and stay out of others quarrels, he refuses them. A chance encounter with a familiar face leads him to reconsider, and he is torn between seeking inner peace and unleashing the fierce warrior within to help the poor townsfolk. Essentially, this is literally one of the best Hulk stories in years. A lot of what the Hulk books have been doing lately is focusing strictly on the “smash” and “after smash”, so to say, without really dwelling on the Hulk(s) as a character. Yes, the books follow his family, but one of the main themes of the book is no longer the inherent duality of man as the Hulk is now rather in control of himself within the 616, and Hulk and Bruce ostensibly get along. With this story, we are once again reminded of what made the Hulk such an intriguing character to follow in the first place, as the “smash” elements are in turn traded in for the vicious samurai, who is unleashed on a horde of invaders and “turns into” a “monster”.

The creative team of this book are literally firing on all cylinders. Peter Milligan is very much on top of his game here.* The issue reads like a samurai movie plays, and as a self proclaimed fan of samurai movies it’s quite nice to see. Milligan evokes the style of these classic films** in a way that reads smoothly, and the light tie-in with an upcoming issue (you’ll know him when you see him) helps create a cohesive world with these stories. Most alternate reality stories feel very “one and done”, but two issues in and 5 Ronin already feels like a much more memorable alt-reality tale, if only because it really is so well done. Meanwhile, while some might have feared that the art wouldn’t match up to the previous issue, Dalibor Talajic certainly knocks it out of the park with this issue. Combined with Lee Loughridge’s coloring, the book visually is rather arresting, rather nicely evoking the time period with it’s environment and architecture. While the last issue certainly had art that had more of a samurai flare to it, this book still manages to be up there in terms of quality, albeit to a much cleaner extent.

Continued below

Suffice it to say, for a month long comic, Marvel has once again done quite a good job in terms of creating a unique collaborative comic to put on the shelves. The story feels rather great in single issue form, so trade waiting is not recommended for this story (no matter how neatly it wraps up!). Regardless, when Milligan is on it shows, and he is definitely on with this title. If you like Akira Kurosawa even a tiny bit, it’s highly recommended that you give this book a shot.

Final Verdict: 9.3 – Buy

*So much so, I’m willing to pretend that Greek Street didn’t happen. 
**Seriously, why are there no samurai films anymore?
I should also note that when reading this issue, it matches up rather wonderfully to the Fountain soundtrack. Seriously. Try it.


Matthew Meylikhov

Once upon a time, Matthew Meylikhov became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Multiversity Comics, where he was known for his beard and fondness for cats. Then he became only one of those things. Now, if you listen really carefully at night, you may still hear from whispers on the wind a faint voice saying, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not as bad as everyone says it issss."

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