Kabuki: Circle of Blood [Hardcover]

David Mack (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1996

In a story that spans Japan's history and future, and alludes to the haunting traditions of the Japanese Ghost story, Kabuki: Circle of Blood touches on the interdependence between organized crime and politics in Japan.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Caliber Press (1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941613879
• ISBN-13: 978-0941613873
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,242,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I could have given it 100 stars., June 25, 2002

By 

Jack Eldredge (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kabuki: Circle of Blood (Paperback)

I'm sorry if this is long... but believe me, keeping it this small was incredibly difficult. please read on, I have tried to make this as complete and informative as possible.

Circle of Blood should be hailed as one of the great achievements of modern literature. It is certainly the best ever within the comic medium. I have not read David Mack's run on Daredevil, nor do I care to. I have, however, read every volume of Kabuki, and they blow me away. Circle of Blood is a story so amazing I can't believe a person wrote it. I once told David Mack that he is like a God to me. I could only explain why to someone who has already read Circle of Blood. I'll try to stick to things that are relevant to those of you who haven't.

David Mack's artwork is amazing. It is the most creative I have ever looked at. He tells the story as much with the pictures as with the text... its hard to explain, but once again I have to say you will only truly understand if you read it yourself. I'm sure some people might not like the artwork in Circle of Blood as much as the beautifully painted pages of Dreams, Skin Deep, or Metamorphosis (Kabuki volumes 2, 4, 5) because it is in strict black and white. not even shades of grey, just black and white. This is intentional and deliberate. It's not for budget or time constraints, its done for a very specific reason, and those who have read all the different Kabuki books know that Mack uses different mediums for different moods and different types of stories. Kabuki books are best read with close attention to detail... you get the most out of it if you take in the art slowly and attentively and look at everything on the page.

In response to another reviewer who found Mack's portrayal of Japanese culture offensive and ignorant, I have only to say that I understand why that reviewer had the opinion he or she did, if he or she thought that was David Mack's perception of what Japan actually is. However, this story is fictional, and set in a future timeframe that is not meant to reflect modern OR traditional Japanese culture, but rather a mixture of both, twisted and perverted into something new, dark, even evil.

To those of you with short attention spans, you'll probably find this book boring. But it is far from it. There is so much of the story devoted to introspective images and thought processes, memories and dreams, that you will know our heroine Kabuki intimately and personally. The result is that we feel her pain, and know her mind, and therefore the storyline and the ongoing events of Circle of Blood hold meaning for us, the readers, and not just the people drawn on the pages. Now don't get me wrong. If you're looking for action, you've got it by the cold-blooded cutting edge fistfull, but if thats the ONLY thing you want, look elsewhere. Kabuki is both delicate and hard-edged. elegant and obscene. beautiful and bloody.

Nothing in Circle of Blood can be taken at its simplest, face-value. The imagery interlocks and relates throughout the whole story, and you will see how interwoven and complex every theme is. Even the title "Circle of Blood" holds incredible significance and many different meanings. Kabuki is Inexpressibly intriguing.

The first five volumes of Kabuki tell a story you will never forget, But Circle of Blood by itself, being the first part, is definitely complete, and it is individually the best of them all. Read it, and be amazed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best, January 31, 2002

By 

"stagnerr" (Southeast US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kabuki: Circle of Blood (Paperback)

I would like to address some issues with the reviews so far. I have this book, and the entire run of kabuki comics. I have not and will not read any daredevil stuff, I started reading kabuki long before that. This is not a story about superheros... so if you are into that type of thing, you might be disappointed.

If you are interested in a deep, emotional story, look no farther. This story delves into the main character, Kabuki, with a sensitvity towards the female psyche that few male authors have or dare to try.

The art in this novel is black and white, for reasons that Mack has stated in the GN itself. This is a story meant for black and white, it is introspective, violent, and part of Kubuki's past, if you will. Read the rest of his novels and you will gain a better appreciation of how Mack adapts his art to the story flawlessly.

To conclude, this entire series is gripping, masterful, and has some of the best art I have ever seen, inside comics or not. Enjoy it. :)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great action comic, May 31, 2004

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Kabuki: Circle of Blood (Paperback)

Kabuki is an outstanding story. The drawing, especially the figure drawing is great. The story - super-spy-babe on a mission of vengeance - has a used look, but Mack adds enough detail to keep it from looking used up. Best, Mack has put some real knowledge of Japanese culture and history into the story. It's not all pleasant history, but not all history is pleasant.

The artwork is all black and white. I like that, when it's used well, and Mack uses it to the fullest. The drawing styles are varied and expressive. My only complaint is that some of the white-on-black lettering eroded during reproduction. To print well using inexpensive paper and process, the white-on-black should have had a heavier line weight. Ink naturally bleeds into the white areas; bleeding in from both sides of the lettering's stroke made some of the text hard to read.

I almost gave this five stars. Mack has continued the Kabuki series, though, and it gets better as it goes along. He keeps raising the bar for comic excellence - this doesn't quite measure up to the later books in the series, either for art or for story. His later work beats just about every other comic out there, including this earlier work.

It's good, though, and a good intro to the later books.