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Story and Art: Barry Blair, Pat McEown
Art: Bruce Blair, Guang Yap
THIS IS ENGLAND
SYNOPSIS
Li Huay Chen, aka Shanghai Lee to his friends, is kicked out of a pub in England.
Toshiro, on a motorcycle, befriends him and talks of the ways of peace. To follow
peace, he tells him, one would walk away now. Toshiro beats up the guys that threw
Lee out (named Cid, Elwy, John). Toshiro tells Lee to get on his motorcycle. Toronto
is the location of Gen's new night club called Tube Station. A clean up man is named
John. Gen's had her period. A guy named Mark shows up and tells her he and Roger
were scoutin' for some junk and easy entries. He asks John if he is ready to go,
calling him Festus (John Festus or is Festus just a nickname?). Gen goes to stay
at their place for the night, telling Homer to lock up. Mark crashes headlights of
a car belonging to a punk that calls out a curse word to Gen, Mark, and John. Toshiro
tells Lee that his mother was Hawaiian and his father was American Japanese. He has
spent most of his time in Canada in cities like Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto. Lee
asks if he minds telling him what he is doing here besides beating up the locals
(with an instinctive winceówink). A girl, daughter of the man who will help Toshiro,
greets them in Medieval language. Balding Mr. Roberts tells him about the sword.
The sword is one of a pair, the other being a short sword, created to kill supernatural
creatures: Demons, ogres, etc. Demons in the mountains of Tibet were served by a
cult and caused mayhem as far as the shores of Japan. Someone hired the Yakuza to
end the Ninja after Toshiro and belongs to this cult. Toshiro thought the other sword
was in Cambodia but it is in Japan in a temple owned by Kamakazi and she acquired
the short blade from her contacts in the Opium business. George and Curly of the
National Guard or helicopter patrol discuss the battle suits. Hotachi captures the
runaway suit. Roberts tells Toshiro if he were 20 years younger he would go with
him. Two miles after leaving them, Toshiro finds Lee walking. Lee wants to go with
him. Lee tells him he cannot tell him of his past or what he has done..only that
he must flee it. Toshiro tells him to get on the back of his cycle. A dog watches
them go.
REVIEW
Samurai is riding about London on a Triumph motorcycle when he observes an oriental
teenager being violently thrown out of a pub. The comments of the throwers leave
no doubt that racism is the motive for the ejection. Samurai goes in the pub and
in four pages of increasing violence hands out a very sound beating to the locals,
though without any killing. Rather than leave the kid behind Toshiro takes him along
on the motorcycle. The boy introduces himself as Li Huay Chen, also known as "Shanghai
Lee".
Toshiro arrives at the home of his friend Mr. Roberts, an orientalist, who has discovered
the secret of Toshiro's sword. It seems that ages ago there was made a special set
of swords, one long and one short. These two swords were enchanted to be used together
to kill demons, ogres and other malevolent supernatural entities. At the time a hero
used the swords to exterminate a cult of demon-worshipers centered in Tibet. Now
the long sword or katana has come down to Toshiro and the short sword is still in
Japan, in possession of a woman named Kamakazi who is said to "run the underworld"
there. It is speculated that the ones trying to get Toshiro's sword are members of
the demonic cult newly arisen who believe that they must secure the sword which presents
the only threat to their eldritch masters! Toshiro decides that he must go to Japan,
somehow secure the other sword, then go to Tibet and wipe out the cult again, like
the hero of antiquity.
On the way back Toshiro stops to talk with Li Huay Chen, who has walked on a few
miles. At the ripe old age of 13 Lee is fleeing his past--he can't talk about what
he's done--just what horrid things has he done anyway?--but he wants to sign on as
Toshiro's sidekick. Samurai motions to the empty back seat of the cycle and says,
"get on".
In issue 4 there are 16 pages devoted to following Toshiro, which seem to have been
penciled by McEown and inked by Barry for the most part. There are only a few panels
which look entirely like Barry's art, all of these involving the new character Li
Huay. Pat McEown has a separate 6 pages--in which very little happens--and Guang
Yap has 6 pages to carry on the Naganata story line, which has lots of action.
The cover to number 4, subtitled "This Is England", is one of the best
of the Samurai covers. It shows a very attractive colorful drawing of Toshiro
sitting astride a carefully drawn purple Triumph motorcycle. The rear cover has a
colorful chalk drawing of Hotachi by Guang Yap. |