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.