It is comprised of three volumes, two of which already published by Tokyopop and a third on the way from a different publisher. The first two are also currently available on the web as well as the first third of volume 3, for your reading pleasure. All of this free of charge (Thank you Dan Hipp!)
Gyakushu! follows the story of a former thief set on revenge after his home was burned to the ground, his wife killed and his son stolen away. If you're wondering what Gyakushu means, Mr. Hipp gives us a definition in the beginning of the book: 1. Counterattack 2. Holding a memorial service for oneself. Which sets the mood very well for this book following a man so scarred he has to wear bandages over his whole body while seeking out those who hurt his family.
Dan Hipp known primarily as the artist for The Amazing Joy Buzzards (written by Mark Andrew Smith (which I have yet to read)) takes on both art and writing duties for Gyakushu! His artwork is quite impeccable on this piece but surprisingly his writing is just as strong as the artwork. He weaves a very twisty tale, constantly teasing the reader with niblets of information, the narrator and jumps back and forth in time. This has been one of the most rewarding reading experiences for me in awhile, it gives you enough to let you come to your own conclusions, but then comes back and throws in another piece of information from a different time period that skews the story each time. It shows an author who is in control at every step of the way, every volume brings new things to light, showing a rich and thought out back story.
The really tricky part about the story though is the fact that he shows the narrator, at first this seems irrelevant, but even the narrator has a role in this story, and it's twist is so interesting to the mechanics of the story and where it is leading you that I can't give it away.
The artwork is cartoony, but darkly themed and designed, it really pulls you into the story. It uses contrast well to tell it's story (we're not talking batman, where most of the page is black), putting the past in a gray tone to indicate the fading that occurred with time. Every now and then a splash of red is put in to places "that [he] thought could use an exclamation point of action or drama". Speaking of which the action in these pages is very well done, it's very kinetic, Hipp definitely understands how to speed things up and when to slow them down to very good effect. The flow of action never disappoints, on the other end the flow during the narrator's parts also works well, balancing the back and forth in time, bringing back former images to trigger what you thought you knew, each time showing them in a new light as you get to that point.
This graphic novel gives one of the most cinematic reading experiences I've ever had. It is a comic you will want to read from start to finish in one sitting, unraveling each piece of the story is such a joy in the flow Hipp has created you won't be able to put it down or click away. Which brings us to the only disappointment of this story, that the third volume isn't out yet, we will have to wait till it comes out before we can enjoy the final part of the saga of the thief: GYAKUSHU!
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