Kabuki: Circle of Blood

What if the government and organized crime formed a delicate balance and worked together? What if the media was controlled by the government and the T.V. personalities were also assassins? What would happen if that balance was disrupted? These questions and many others are looked at in David Mack's comic Kabuki: Circle of Blood. 

Kabuki is one of eight Noh assassins. The Noh are a secret government organization that hide in plain sight. The operatives of the Noh only know each other from behind masks, which leads to some interesting twists in the story. As the Kabuki, Scarab, Tigerlily, Snapdragon, Butch (Butoh?), Ice, and Siamese (the twins) assassinate several high ranking crime lords, Kabuki deals with her past and the events that lead her to become a part of the Noh. Kabuki's journey made me, as a reader, question my own relationships with my parents, think about how far down the path we are to living in a society that is as superficial as a mask, and contemplate my own place in the world.

Woven in a rich tapestry of images, Kabuki: Circle of Blood touches on many different social and political questions, from drugs, media, and video games, to identity and escapism. The images are hauntingly beautiful and evoke the emotions of the reader. I've savored each page of this comic as a feast for the eyes. The images in this comic were like watching a movie. Some pages were so richly drawn that I felt as though the characters might leap off the page. 

I heartily recommend this comic to anyone, not just people who like comics. Kabuki: Circle of Blood is a book that will satisfy readers in many different audiences. Steeped with Japanese culture and history, this story works on a multitude of levels.Kabuki rates a 5 out of 5 stars. I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what will happen in the next few comic books.