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Okko: The Cycle of Air #2 – Review

Okko and his traveling companions have arrived at Okko's hometown. It appears that Okko comes from noble roots and is not the scummy lone samurai he appears to be. Although Okko is a ronin samurai, he is the master of others, including: a monk named Noshin, a Honyo (A child born of a demon and human) named Noburo, and a young fisherman named Tikku. Okko is their master but really their friend and protector at times.

The group enjoys their downtime. For Noshin and Tikku it's repairing a rooftop, and for Noburo it's visiting the town Geisha house. For Okko though, it is a meeting with an old friend. Along the way to the meeting he is challenged to a duel. When Okko was younger he killed the man's father and now the son has come looking for revenge. Okko declines until after his meeting, but actually hopes the young man will wise up rather than be killed by his sword.

Okko meets with Kubban, the famous demon hunter. Kubban's body was badly damaged in a battle with a Mystic so he now resides in a special suit of armor. Kubban recounts Okko's noble past and his falling out with the Kiritsu Family. The Kiritsu Family has been in charge of the supernatural for years; Okko was supposed to join them but instead abandoned his family. Kubban shows off his demon collection to Okko, who notices one spot missing. Kubban explains that he is tracking a red masked Honyo and knows that he is close.

https://www.entertainmentfuse.com/images/rsz_1okko_the_cycle_of_air_002_cov.jpgOkko laughs as the only thing matching the description is his good friend Noburo. Kubban informs Okko that he will be killing his friend. Unable to allow such a thing Okko and Kubban duel. Okko is fast, but the armor gives Kubban the advantage. Okko losses his hand in the battle, this forces him to decide whether to continue the duel or not. Noburo can sense his master in danger and sets out to find him.

Not a lot of the first issue is recapped in the book, so without reading the back cover little is known of why the group is there. This is only a minor detail, since the issue is about the duel between Okko and Kubban. The book is almost entirely created by Hub. He's created a unique world of samurai and demons that is unlike anything else in that genre. This is not InuYasha or any other countless demon samurai title. This book takes itself serious and creates a believable world.

Okko and his group are fleshed out characters that all have their own voice and mannerisms. The group is diverse and Hub does a wonderful job of playing to the group's strengths but also giving them weaknesses. The simple dialog between Okko and Kubban is revealing and catches the reader's attention, making it meaningful to the story.

The greatest strength of the book is the amazing art. Hub draws a world that is so alive and beautiful, that even without reading the story it's still fun to look at. Hub and Li do a wonderful job on the colors, which gives the book its unique and distinct look. The art is very subversive; it draws you in and makes you care about the story all the more.

If you missed out on the first issue of this book you will be left out in the dark. It still tells a wonderful story that has a strong beginning, middle, and end. The way the issue ends guarantees that there will be a strong tie-in to the third issue, which should do a better job of unifying the mini-series as a whole. If you've been following Okko and his group's adventures already then you're in for a real treat. If you're new to the franchise then you've been missing out on of the prettiest books on the market.

Overall Score - 8.9/10

I named my Zune Okko... true story. Also this review reads better if you shout out Kagome after reading InuYasha. Follow Dustin on Twitter and ask him anything on FormSpring.

 

Rating
8.9

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