A disease has spread across the world turning people into… locusts!? Though that’s intriguing this is the story of one man trying to rescue a girl from a religious cult in a post-apocalyptic world.
Story: Massimo Rosi
Art: Alex Nieto
Letterer: Mattia Gentili
Get your copy now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.
In February 2020, Scout Comics announced six new imprints. Black Caravan was one of them whose focus is to “explore the darker side of creator-owned comics, high-end art books, and collectibles. The horror imprint’s co-Publishers are Joseph Schmalke and Rich Woodall.
Now, we’ve got the first six new titles which will debut later this year.
THE PERHAPANAUTS
BIGFOOT! El CHUPACABRA! The MOTHMAN! GHOSTS! The world may be growing smaller every day, but there are dark and terrible things still out there in the woods, shadowy corners full of mystery and dread. Who else are you going to send out to investigate? —- The Perhapanauts! by creators Todd Dezago and Craig Rousseau.
PHANTOM STARKILLER
Whispers of his return paralyze all in fear – Phantom Starkiller, the Cosmic Ghoul Warrior will unleash his inner darkness to carry out his master’s wishes, all while plotting his revenge; for he cannot stop his interstellar rampage until The Curse of the Cryptocrystalline Stone has been broken! An exciting new psychedelic space odyssey based on the wildly popular toy line by Killer Bootlegs, and Super7! Written by Killer Bootlegs featuring artwork from Joseph Schmalke.
THE ELECTRIC BLACK: THE BLACK CARAVAN
Before the Electric Black there was a traveling carnival of wonders, the Black Caravan. People flocked to its showed exhibitions to behold the weird inhabitants, as well as the forbidden, dark goods. All is not what it seems and what we think of as good and evil are brought into question. Written and illustrated by Joseph Schmalke and Rich Woodall.
PROVENANCE OF MADNESS
A collection of three stories set in the world that Lovecraft created, whilst referencing the writer’s most popular works. The collection also features a whole host of bonus artwork from a wide array of artists all keen to share their love for the things that should not be. Created and written by Kiyarn Taghan, artwork by Christian DiBari, and Colors by Simon Gough.
BROKEN SOULS BALLAD
A group of teenagers, all adopted, begin to discover they have dark and terrible powers, connected to the psychological distress and torture they endured in their early childhood. Written by Massimo Rosi, artwork by Lodovica Caregatti.
THE ELECTRIC BLACK PRESENTS
From the Chilling Pages of The Electric Black comes a new horror anthology series, centered on four of its most insidious characters. Brace your souls for these tales of cosmic horror, revenge, murder, and mayhem. Written by Joseph Schmalke and Rich Woodall. Featuring the artistic talents of Paul Pelletier, Walter Ostlie, Christian DiBari, and Karl Moline.
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI VOLUME 1
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
128 pgs./ T / FC
$14.99
A samurai salamander, looking for his lost honor, decides to commit Harakiri. But in order to have an honorable death, he has to do it under the roof of the Shogun’s house Swollen-Cheeks. Something terrible will bring the fighting spirit of the Gaijin salamander back: an invasion, a vengeance and a war between the last samurai frogs and the lizards coming from West to take control of the throne and the whole Rising Sun country.
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI #6
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
32 pgs./ T / FC
$3.99
Black-Spit’s evil plan fails as the sixth sense of Gaijin saves the Shogun Swollen-Cheeks’ life. Now it’s time for a last desperate action: killing Black-Spit, cutting the Serpent’s head off inside its own camp. Gaijin is the only one who can complete this kind of mission, save everyone and, finally, commit his long awaited Harakiri… or not?
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI #5
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
32 pgs./ T / FC
$3.99
The honor of the samurai is like a stone. None seems to win the siege: the Emperor’s army is marching south to help Black-Spit destroy the Shogun fortress. Black-Spit tries something suspicious: a meeting with Swollen-Cheeks to make them surrender. But something bad is happening behind the Black-Spit’s intentions.
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI #4
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
32 pgs./ T / FC
$3.99
Shogun fortress is under siege. The Lizards, headed by the evil Black-Spit, are attacking the walls. Battles are furious and many are dying. Gaijin Salamander is the last of an ancient order of warriors and his support will be fundamental for Swallen-Cheeks and his army. Fire will burn and blood will be spilled on the battlefield.
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI #3
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
32 pgs./ T / FC
$3.99
He is a Gaijin, a stranger, alone in a country far from everything. He lost his love and his master… there’s only one thing he’s expecting: Harakiri, the ritual suicide. To deserve an honorable death, he has to reach the Shogun Swallen-Cheeks’ mansion and ask for permission. With his fortress under attack, the Shogun will ask him something that will change the salamander’s life forever.
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI #2
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
32 pgs./ T / FC
$3.99
The dark past of the Gaijin Salamander is facing him one last time. A group of Crab bandits is hiding in the foggy mountains, attacking the villages nearby. Some frog villagers ask desperately for the mighty gaijin sword-master to help them. In the meantime, the civil war between the last samurais, headed by Swollen-Cheeks, and the emperor army, begins.
“We are the last warriors, the last pacifists of that school, and I leave her inheritance in your hands… you are a Gaijin.” A feudal Japan with anthropomorphic and samurai animals inspired by Homer’s poem on “War of Mice and Frogs,” Batrachomyomachia. As in the classic poem, one tells of the futility of war and the desire for peace by Gaijin, a foreign salamander in a Japan of frogs invaded by lizards.
Sometimes all it takes to hook you into a comic is the title. A title like Cold Blood Samurai.
I hadn’t actually read the preview text when opening the comic, so I didn’t expect to find a comic featuring anthropomorphic reptiles. Massimo Rosi‘s story is also far more interesting that I expected, too; I’m not too familiar with Japanese history around the time the comic is set, but I didn’t need to be in order to become engrossed in this comic.
Rosi is able to set the scene and give a background to his story through the narration of the first half of the comic, bring those unfamiliar (like myself) up to speed with the story’s setting, which positions him in begin delving into the deeper themes of the series as the comic unfolds. Themes of war and peace, the reluctant hero outsider and the corruption of state. Cold Blood Samurai is a tense, yet gently paced read that will open its arms to you and pull you into the murky arms of a story that is, at it’s heart, about one verses many (though one gets the sense that this is an oversimplification of the comic).
Visually, penciller Ludovica Ceregatti and colourist Renato Stevanato have produced a visual style that easily enables the reader to differentiate between the frogs, lizards and the titular salamander whilst remaining on the more serious side of spectrum. There are some utterly wonderful silent action sequences that make an effective use of nine horizontal panels to create an elegant dance of death as the salamander faces off against nearly a dozen foes before zooming in to watch the lethality of his swords-creature-ship.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the first issue of this series, but now that I’ve found what could easily be one of the better comics from Action Lab, I’m looking forward to the second issue. Cold Blood Samurai took me by surprise – a wonderfully elegant surprise.
Story: Massimo Rosi Art: Ludovica Ceregatti
Colours: Renato Stevanato Lettering: Mattia Gentili
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.3 Overall: 8.4 Recommendation: Buy
Action Lab Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.
COLD BLOOD SAMURAI #1
Writer(s): Massimo Rosi
Artist Name(s): Ludovica Ceregatti (Pencils), Renato Stevanato (Colors)
Cover Artist(s): Ludovica Ceregatti
Lettering: Mattia Gentili
Editing: Andrea Lorenzo Molinari
32 pgs./ T / FC
$3.99
“We are the last warriors, the last pacifists of that school, and I leave her inheritance in your hands … you are a Gaijin.” A feudal Japan with anthropomorphic and samurai animals inspired by Homer’s poem on “War of Mice and Frogs”, Batrachomyomachia. As in the classic poem, one tells of the futility of war and the desire for peace by GAIJIN, a foreign salamander in a Japan of frogs invaded by lizards.
