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Sir Charles and his Knights must find a way to communicate with the Samurai if there’s any hope at surviving a massive dragon. While the dragons hot fire rages and broken bodies pile up around them, they’ll have to find a weakness and work towards understanding each other if they hope to stand any chance. It’s Knights vs Samurai vs Dragon!
- Written by David Dastmalchian
- Art by Fede Mele
- Colors by Ulises Arreola
- Letters by AndWorld Design
- Consultant Thersa Matsuura
- Creative Director Todd McMarfane
- Editor-in-Chief Thomas Healy
- Published by Image Comics
Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire!
When we last left Sir Charles and his knights in issue 3, they were imprisoned in the Samurai camp. Constant struggles in the language barrier continue to plague any hope at reconciliation. This already presents a problem in the way of diplomacy, but when an ancient evil in the form of a dragon awakens, it becomes a issue of survival!
Now everyone finds themselves in peril, staring down the throat of a huge dragon engulfing them in flames and snapping men in full armor in half. The Samurai at least have the sense to release the Knights from their cages to aid in battle. The issue here though is communication. They still can’t understand one another and strategy suffers.
Devious Plots Evolve in Knights vs Samurai
In the mean time, Baggi continues his secret mission to raid the Eastern Lands of their Shakh while the others are distracted. A nice little change of POV takes us back to England where Duke Leofric and Sir Robert are discussing Sir Charles while hunting. New plot points are revealed and the devious task of Baggi becomes more clear.
Dastmalchian Thrives on Chaos in Knights vs Samurai
David Dastmalchian keeps us enamored with action while sprinkling in some important plot points. As things go from bad to worse, we get to see each side present their strengths and weaknesses to one another. Sir Charles has experiences with fighting dragons, but of course the Samurai can’t understand anything he is saying. Side characters get to shine in this moment as Mundric nails the serpent with a huge boulder and Tomo fires a direct hit with an arrow. Each of them do things to show that they are on the same side, at least for now.
David Dastmalchian + Creature Commandos
It’s important to note that Dastmalchian is setting up solutions amid the chaos. We get little bits about witches and language spells. We get secrets on how to properly slay a dragon. Sir Charles is haunted by his personal demons. Duke Leofric foreshadows a devious plot. There’s so much meat in this issue and it’s handled in a way that doesn’t feel dense and bogs down the pace.
The Art and Letters of Knights vs Samurai!
Fede Mele encapsulates the chaos and violence that come along with a surprise dragon attack. The classic Southeast Asian design of the dragon is awesome in itself. Mele does a fantastic job of making it look demonic and animalistic. Mele also gives us some great close ups of characters and captures their emotions so well. At times we can’t tell what is actually going on in their minds and that ambiguity serves the story well.
The colors by Ulises Arreola put this whole thing on the map! Fire is integral to this issue, and Arreola uses the flame and its lighting effects to perfection. Every color choice increases the tension or reveals something to the reader that doesn’t need to be said.
Lettering rules as we are going back and forth between Japanese and English. It’s awesome to see Japanese characters with an italic translation accompaniment. Most important of all is the dragons sound effects and environmental effects caused by its collateral damage. These add so much immersion to this important scene.
Everything Points to 9/10
This issue was full of action on important plot development and yet it moved so seamlessly. Dastmalchian is a master of letting crafting a story so well that it just feels like a natural flow of events. Nothing feels forced. That makes this issue like all of the others a pleasure to read. It helps to have the artwork of Fede Mele and Ulises Arreola on the pages as well. Dynamic action, tense horror and gore, and beautifully executed fire effects keep the eyes engaged! For history buffs, for fantasy fans, and for fans of action, this series is a no brainer!
