 | | ▪ | PUBLISHED BY: | | DARK HORSE | | | ▪ | ART/AUTHOR: | | RYOICHI IKEGAMI / KAZUO KOIKE | | | | ▪ | FORMAT/COLOR: | | JAPANESE FORMAT / BW | | | ▪ | PAGES: | | 408 | | | ▪ | RATED: | | 18+ | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 09/06/2006 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 04/10/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN |
Yo Hinomura, a promising artist who ran afoul of the 108 Dragons syndicate and became their most feared assassin, Crying Freeman, crafts destiny where he used to sculpt in clay. His wife, fellow artist Emu Hino, stands by his side as they live out their days as the leaders of the 108 Dragons and the only thing standing between us and dark forces with darker plans in their underworld hearts. Having fought traitors in the ranks of the 108 Dragons, organizations bent on conquering Japan, and thugs of every description, the stage is set in CRYING FREEMAN Volume Three for more epic action and adult adventure. Such is to be expected from a work of adult manga that has been regarded with justification as a jewel in the crown of the genre.
Writer Kazuo Koike and illustrator Ryoichi Ikegami brought this tale to life over 20 years ago, but the story has not lost any of its power. In fact, considering the nature of the material covered in much sequential art and cinema today, this story still has the ability to instill shock and awe on the reader with its epic sweep, stirringly beautiful characters, brutal violence and eye-popping eroticism. In Volume Three of this new edition from Dark Horse, restored to its original right to left configuration and re-translated more faithfully to the source material, delivers all of the above in liberal helpings, Freeman solves the mystery of identifying an assassin known only through the scent of a unique kind of perfume. Of course, this requires some very close inter….action with one of the female suspects he meets, but eventually, he meets up with Bugnug, leader of the African Tusk, and another stunningly beautiful woman in her own right. After some eye-popping set piece fights involving various thrown blades, a betrayal within her own ranks, and Freeman’s rescue of her from certain death, Bugnug, now renamed by Freeman Dark Eyes, becomes a powerful ally for our hero.
Next, we have a story where Tiger Orchid, Freeman’s wife, has a little more page placement other than as the loyal lover and sidekick. Having come into possession of Murasama, an evil sword, Tiger Orchid takes the weapon from Freeman to a legendary swordmaster in the walled city of Kowloon to train in its use, and to tame the devilry within it. Accompanied by Bai Ya Shan, Freeman’s behemoth sister, Tiger Orchid still lands in danger, and engages her enemies in a dazzlingly erotic display of dance and swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, Freeman is being pursued by an organization bent on replacing him as head of the 108 Dragons with a clone. Behind it is a retuning villain from early in the manga, and a powerful wrestler who could prove through sheer size alone more than a match for Freeman. Returning is Dark Eyes, who runs afoul of this monster, is brutally raped and left for dead. Will Freeman survive a match with this brute? Will he find Dark Eyes and rescue her? Will Tiger Orchid complete her training and become the true master of the evil sword? So many questions. So much great reading ahead of you, loyal fans.
It has been noted in previous reviews about the quality of the art and storytelling in this epic work. Suffice it to say, even though this represents the middle of the series, (there are five volumes planned in the new Dark Horse edition), this is by no means the weakest part in the story. With dynamic new characters like Dark Eyes on the scene, we not only get some fresh blood into the plot, but a little welcome cultural diversity as well. Having well established the world of Freeman, this addition gives new dimension to it, rather than leaving readers with an endless series of plots involving conspiracies, chases, sex and violence. You still get that, but it never feels old, which is a complement, considering this series is 20 years on since first being published.
Once again, though, it must be noted that this series is for adults only and carries an 18+ rating. The violence is graphic, and the nudity and mature situations are plentiful. However, fans of hardcore Asian action films or Tarantino’s KILL BILL duet will find much that is appealing in terms of the action in this work. Anyone searching for quality artwork will not be disappointed as Ryoichi Ikegami’s art is still hard to beat all these years later.
IN SUMMARY:
CRYING FREEMAN Volume Three builds beautifully on the action, adventure and romance of the first two editions in this classic adult manga. New characters, both heroic and villainous, fill pages charged with riveting stories and imagery that is stunning from beginning to end. Adults need their epic tales too, and CRYING FREEMAN fills the bill perfectly. |
