Samurai: Life on the Road
Mad Monkey Press, 1996, colour.
1 Samurai: Life on the Road cover Written and Illustrated by Barry Blair
Painted by Christina Blackley
Kim is on a steamboat near Taiwan. The House of Han and the clan of Kimura made this agreement: to switch sons to realize the unity. Kim has to use his sword to kill the white man (Mr. Langford) who followed him from the ship with a gun, a present from his mother. Five or more Ninja follow and fight him. He kills many. A jeep mows through more. A white man tells him to hop in: Homer Bently. The Chinese father of Kim, his real father, feels the adopted mother from Japan, overstepped his bounds by sending Ninja into Taiwan soil. The Chinese man, Han, is upset and this is seen by his adoptive son, Toshiro. Taipei is where Kim and Homer are. Homer tells Kim he lived in Taiwan since 1936óóhe was a Flying Tiger back then. Kim mentions a Lo Fan who created his own universe here in his home. Hakim Khan's place is where Homer livesóóin the back. Little Bun is Homer's little friend, an Oriental boy who treats Kim well and they play together. Kim knows Chinese boxing and other forms of fighting via his Sensai Sifu. He taught him every day, all day. He never had a chance to play. Kim's father is the Triad Boss and the Tong Lords fear him. Kim lays in a pool and plays with other boys including Little Bun. Homer and Kim go in search of his father. A boy with a tinkling bell and a star on his chest (open to his bare skin?) comes dancing, transfixing Kim, who was alone to wonder at the garden area. The boy throws stars at him and one lanced his sword arm's shoulder. Toshiro and two men arrive. Toshiro kills both men but Communistic like menóófour of them come with guns to kill him. Homer shoots one but others shoot back. Kim cuts through them. Kim tells Homer he is his best friend. Days of healing follow. Little Bun urges Homer and Kim to go into Taipei again and to the Night Market. Little Bun gets food for them, Homer sure it had to be food...hot pot. Homer and Kim plan to stop the evil that created Kim.