$12.95 from Dark
Horse Comics
Credits:
Story and Art by John
Manabe
Translation by Dana
Lewis and Toren Smith
Lettering Retouch by
Wayne Truman
It is the year 2077,
but probably not as pertains to us. Earth may not even exist, and may as well
not. Across the galaxy the cruel, immortal slug Emperor Gustav has brought
former allies and peaceful worlds to heel under his Romulinian Empire. As we
open, the temperamental princess Karula of Ledomia, one of those
soon-to-be-bowed planets, goes before Emperor Gustav to sign a treaty. Karula
is a feline warrior who refuses to trade her armor for courtly dress, and when
the time comes to sign the treaty that will put her people under the Emperor’s
thumb, she strikes, slicing the Emperor in half with her sword. Just as
Karula’s makes her assassination play, a Ledomian fleet makes a last-ditch
effort to strike at the heart of Gustav’s Empire. But all is lost: the Emperor
survives the attack and Karula barely makes it out alive, as her lover dies for
her in the ensuing battle. And when she meets her sister the Ruling Princess
back home, the angry invasion force of the Empire she failed to destroy follows
her.
These are the first
few scenes of John Manabe’s tense, rich and often satirical *Drakuun: Rise of
the Dragon Princess*. I’ve mentioned *Drakuun* before as an example of high
science-fantasy manga, but I wanted to introduce regular comics fans to it,
just as yet another band of Imperials and Rebels return to the silver screen.
Manabe’s story is
smart enough to begin in failure: we see Karula, a talented warrior, fail and
bring untold suffering on her people. Karula offers to hand herself over in
exchange for the life of the planet, but her sister, who rules Ledomia, urges
Karula to go underground and strike later when the time is right.
Karula reappears
performing in a traveling circus on a world of cat-like people, where her
sword-work and regal bearing in the ring draw the attention of lusty soldiers,
armed challengers, and one tiger-man who knows better. He is Dard, Commander of
the Border Patrol, and when he sees Karula slicing apples in the air, he
whispers, “Her sword work. It’s not just for show. The girl’s a killer, my
friend.”
Of course, soon
enough Karula will find halting love with Dard, but the Empire wants Karula for
spilling the Emperor’s blood. When news comes that the Empire has captured
Karula’s sister to draw her out, Dard has to choose allegiances.
*Drakuun* sprawls out
across at least five graphic novels, in a story that mixes Shakespearean
courtly drama and intrigue with swashbuckling high adventure. And such detail:
I love the strange, insect-like battleships favored by the sluggish Gustav,
resembling hulking, spaceworthy June Bugs. I also admire the fact that all of
the characters are patterned after earth animals, giving one the surreal
feeling of seeing what Mickey and Minnie’s home planet might be like. It’s all courtly nonsense, of course, but
it’s very good nonsense, with a story that moves from one daring escape or feat
of derring-do to the next. Manabe, meanwhile, takes the time to paint even his
smallest characters with traits, such as the brilliantly conceived Kamikaze
race of furballs whose method of war is piloting missiles to their targets. One
of them, as his missile hurtles towards a warship, screams and prays that he
doesn’t want to die.
I don’t recommend *Drakuun*
as good manga, although I have. I recommend *Drakuun* because it’s wonderful,
epic comics writing and fans of big, exciting stories should love it. I haven’t
read the next chapters, but I’m eager to get my hands on them. If you’ve *never*
read a Japanese comic, of course, I can’t imagine a better place to start.