Ichiro [Hardcover]

Ryan Inzana (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 20, 2012

Ichiro lives in New York City with his Japanese mother. His father, an American soldier, was killed in Iraq. Now, Ichi’s mom has decided they should move back to Japan to live with Ichi’s grandfather.
   Grandfather becomes Ichi’s tour guide, taking him to temples as well as the Hiroshima Peace Park, where Ichi starts to question the nature of war. After a supernatural encounter with the gods and creatures of Japanese mythology, Ichi must face his fears if he is to get back home. In doing so, he learns about the nature of man, of gods, and of war. He also learns there are no easy answers—for gods or men.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Beautiful and thought-provoking; questions unanswered will linger in readers' minds."--Kirkus "Inzana uses separate visual styles throughout the book to indicate the human world, the spiritual world, and the shared past which resonates through them both.  While the action is at times chaotic, it is never confusing. The excitement and intensity kept me turning the pages, each one more exciting than the next. 

I was captivated by Ichiro from the first page.  It kept me guessing and presented me with more ideas and entertainment than I had predicted would come from this book. Make sure you get yourself a copy!"--Stumptown Trade Review

"The fluid, expressive brushwork brings the streets of New York City and mythical Japanese creatures to life, allowing the fantastical aspects to be both beautiful and vividly creepy."--Horn Book "Ichiro is a refreshingly honest, well-conceived narrative that is sure to delight, entertain and perhaps educate readers both young and old. Ryan Inzana masterfully integrates a difficult period in history with complicated mythologies and timeless social issues into an enjoyable fantasy adventure. His beautiful black-and-white brushwork is enviable in its fluidity and expressiveness. Whether he's tackling a tender moment between a single mother and her distant son at the dinner table or illustrating mystical battles between gods, his practiced skills shine through with the perfect tone."--Rations Magazine

"This is a graphic novel that explores the Asian American experience by blending modern, ancient, and fantastic elements."--School Library Journal

"Beautiful, full-color art abounds in the folkloric scenes, which sharply contrast with the black-and-white and occasionally sepia-toned reality of Ichiro’s day-to-day activities, in which dashes of bright color punctuate the action. Inzana brings home another powerful post-9/11 fable, directed this time to a younger audience than he targeted with Johnny Jihad (2003). Ichiro asks the hard questions for readers but challenges them to arrive at their own conclusion.."--Booklist

"Inzana mixes the mystery with the matter-of-fact in his lively artwork, creating a mood of enlightenment throughout and offering an insight into Japanese culture with a maximum of imagination."--Publishers Weekly "What really makes the book stand out is Inzana's mixed media artwork. It's a lush looking book, with rich details and a very thoughtful handling of the world Ichiro moves through. The book is somewhat broken up visually, with mythology told in full and rich color, while the present day is told in a muted set of greens and the mythological world Ichiro finds himself color coded based on mythology (a subtle nod to Oz, assumedly), an element that makes sense the more you read the book. In one large hardcover book like this, it certainly makes for a beautiful collection of pages.

Both the personal storytelling from Inzana and the illustrations go a long way to selling the title, and it's familiar yet new all the same tale of a boy discovering his ancestry amount to quite a wonderful read, and it's certainly an early contender for graphic novel of the year; a compelling story sure to wow and impress on many levels."--Multiversity Comics.com

About the Author

Ryan Inzana is an illustrator and comic artist whose work has appeared in numerous magazines, ad campaigns, books, and various other media all over the world. Ichiro is his second graphic novel. He lives in New Jersey, with his wife. Visit his website at www.ryaninzana.com.

Product Details

• Age Range: 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (March 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547252692
• ISBN-13: 978-0547252698
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #986,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mythology of War April 9, 2012

By Zack Davisson HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

"Ichiro" is exactly why I like comics. Ryan Inzana makes skillful use of the medium to weave a compelling story of Japanese mythology, race relations, family relations, and the folly of war. With his clean and simple visuals he describes complex ideals and deep emotional truths that wouldn't have had the same impact in novel form.

On the surface, Inzana mixes the ancient fairy tale of the Tanuki Teakettle with a contemporary--and very real--story of a young half-Japanese boy named Ichiro, who has suddenly had his world upturned. Hi American father died long ago in the Iraq war, and his Japanese mother, struggling to make a living in the U.S., takes Ichiro back to Japan and contemplates returning to a country Ichiro barely knows. While his mother interviews for a job, Ichiro is thrust together with a Grandfather he doesn't remember, who takes the boy on a tour of Japan, from Tokyo down through Hiroshima and ending in Izumo to witness the Kami Mukae festival where all of the gods of Japan gather once a year to meet in Izumo Shrine. But along the way, Ichiro is flung into a fantasy world of magical creatures and yokai, Japanese monsters, and a war between Heaven and Hell.

One of the things that impressed me right away with "Ichiro" was its authenticity. I know nothing of Inzana's background or ethnicity, but he gives the feel of drawing from person experience and background knowledge for this comic. I did my Master's Degree in Japanese folklore in Hiroshima, and I was getting nostalgic looking at his artwork. Inzana also perfectly capture the awesome power of the Hiroshima Peace Park. It is very difficult to go there and come away unchanged.

Ichiro is certainly changed by the experience.... He begins the story as a military-loving, father-worshiping young man who clings to his father's war experience like a totem, wearing a "Kill `em all and let God sort `em out" t-shirt and his father's sunglasses. When he sees the devastation of Hiroshima, he starts to hate America until his Grandfather reminds him that Ichiro is also American, as was the father he idolizes. There are no easy answers, and Inzana doesn't offer trite or candy-coated wisdoms to ease the bitter pill the conflicted Ichiro has to swallow. I know exactly how he feels.

The fantasy elements begin about halfway through the book, when a confluence of circumstances finds Ichiro whisked away to mythical Japan, into the underworld of Yomi where the monsters live. Yomi has been at war with Ama, the home of the gods, since the Heavenly Bridge was broken and forces conspired to set the two kingdoms against each other.

Inzana impressed me with his ability to flow the story so freely between modern day and mythical Japan. Although there is some foreshadowing, Ichiro's is spirited away so suddenly you can't help but get whisked away along with him. His depictions of the Japanese underworld and its inhabitants pass my accuracy test as much as his scenes of Hiroshima. He draws heavily from the Yamato Shinto pantheon from the Kojiki, including Amaterasu, Susano, and the god of war Hachiman. He also populates his fantasy kingdom with kappa, tengu, Aobozu, and a host of creatures from traditional Japanese folklore.

While the fantasy element tells its own story, there is a clear metaphor; the cracking of the Bridge of Heaven is a terrorist attack. The heavenly kingdom of Ama blames their old enemy of Yomi, and wages war against them even though evidence for the attack points elsewhere. The god of war Hachiman counsels against the pointless war, but as a loyal soldier he does as he is told. Both sides become embroiled in a ages-long cycle of attack-and-revenge, attack-and-revenge. I didn't have to look too hard to see the US/Iraq war, Colin Powel, George Bush, and the Twin Towers. But the metaphor is not heavy-handed and in your face. Inzana much too subtle a storyteller for that.

Inzana's art, by the way, is fantastic and equally as powerful as his writing. He has his own style that involves loose, fluid brush strokes. I found it entirely fitting that his art style is rarely black-and-white, but relies heavily on shades of gray, just like the ideology that makes up his story. The whole tone of the comic and the art is personal, and you can tell that this comic means something to Inzana.

I have read that Inzana uses his color palette to distinguish between the real and fantasy Japan, and that is the only thing I regret about my black-and-white advanced review copy--I realize I am not seeing this work in its full splendor. The comic looks fantastic as it is, and I think it works perfectly fine in black-and-white, but as skillfully as Inzana handles the story and the art I am sure he handles the colors impressively.

It says on the back cover that this is Ryan Inzana's second graphic novel. I had never heard of him before "Ichiro," but I will be looking up his previous work as well as keeping an eye on him in the future. Read more ›

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected and so much better April 15, 2012

By sanoe.net VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

"Ichiro" is a graphic novel by Ryan Inzana about Ichiro who was born and raised in the US by his Japanese mother who is returning to Japan to take a teaching position.

His mother has to go to Tokyo so Ichiro stays with his grandfather in Hiroshima.

There are so many things that I love about this graphic novel. First of all the art is my favorite kind. Sketchy yet clear; reminiscent of the Japanese art but not a copycat.

Second, I love how genuine the characters are. Kumiko, the mother, who is returning home as a single mother (Ichiro's American father died when he was young) and she's struggling like many single moms but she's not someone to feel sorry for. Ichiro's grandfather, Sato, was my big surprise. I don't know why I expected him to be a curmudgeonly Japanese man but I did. But he's so much better. Warm, funny, understanding. He's the perfect point and counterpoint to Ichiro. And finally, Ichiro, a young man who isn't caught between two cultures but just trying to figure out how he fits in. He's likable and engaging in that he's a kid who has certain ideas and is learning that his ideas may need some adjusting. His ambivalence about eating fish (prepared with the head still on) is a wonderful example. I really like his relationship with his mother and grandfather.

And lastly, the plot and how Inzana lets that plot unfold is great. Inzana opens with the story of a tanuki teapot that becomes a sideshow of sorts then is forgotten. He then moves to modern NYC where Ichiro and his mother are preparing to leave for Japan. The sense of magic is put on hold as his grandfather takes him sightseeing and to the Peace Shrine of Hiroshima that prompts an interesting and empathetic discussion on country and deeds done in war.... Then he moves to Izumo where Ichiro's grandfather re-intros mythical Japan by continuing a story of Izanagi and Izanami and the creation of Japan myth that his mother had spoke of earlier.

I don't want to say more as it will give away too much but the point is that Inzana does a beautiful job of overlaying the modern with the mythical that plays out seamlessly as a boy's turning point at where he is in his life.

It wasn't the book that I thought it would be when I picked it out but it turned out to be so much more.

Awesome book and highly recommended. Read more ›

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff April 11, 2012

By Loren w Christensen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I really enjoyed the modern day first and last parts of the book, moreso than the middle portion that dealt with the land of gods and fantasy. That's just me so I'm not marking the book down because of my taste.

The art is wonderful and often presented in the same way that a movie director frames a scene, and how he reminds the viewer via long shots as to where the scene is occurring.

I'm guessing the artist has a teenage boy because he does an excellent job depicting teen boredom, angst, and impatience.

Good story, educational in a fun way, with art that offers wonderful escapism.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great story for young adults - thought-provoking and compelling April 9, 2012

By GraphicNovelReporter.com TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

In feudal Japan, two men come upon a very special thing: a teapot that turns out to be a shapeshifter. They strike a deal with the shapeshifter in order to put on shows for dazzled crowds. Soon, they're both rich and quite happy. But, as with all things, that only lasts so long. Eventually, the men die and the story of their great, magical teapot show turns into a legend.

The shapeshifting teapot, however, is real, and it gets passd down from generation to generation in one of the men's families. Flashforward to present day, where a young boy named Ichiro is living with his mother in New York City. Ichiro is a boy with a lot of hostility and anger pent up inside. His father has died in war, and his paternal grandfather has filled his head with notions of terrorists and fear.

When Ichiro's mother must make a business trip to Japan, she decides to bring Ichiro along so that he can get to know his maternal grandfather. Ichiro will stay with his grandfather while his mother works in the city.

But Ichiro is soon pulled into a strange, mythical world of Japanese gods, where he is placed in the center of an epic battle. What follows is brilliantly captivating fantasy, a boldly told and vividly realized book that is wholly original and yet a wonderfully evocative tribute to classic comics (at least, that's what I take from the pages of Ryan Inzana's masterful work: They seem, so often, to evoke imagery from comics' Golden Age, a touch I absolutely loved).

Inzana has created a great story for young adults here. It's a sweeping adventure that dazzled me with its thought-provoking and compelling storytelling. This book is highly recommended.

Reviewed by John Hogan