Kabuki (comics)
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Kabuki is a comic book series by artist and writer David Mack, first published in 1994 by Caliber Press and later by Image Comics. It is about an assassin who struggles with her identity, in near-future Japan. The current miniseries, Kabuki: The Alchemy, is being published by Marvel Comics under its imprint Icon Comics. The series has been collected into several trade paperbacks, which include several one-shots and spin-off limited series.
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[edit] Style
Unlike most comic series, the plot of Kabuki moves very little over the course of the volumes. Very little fast-paced or violent action takes place, instead most of the focus is on memories, dreams, thoughts and philosophy. Mack's characters, especially Kabuki herself, revisit the same scenes and memories many times, rethinking them and their significance.
Mack uses a myriad of art styles, not only with pencil, ink, and color, but with paint, magazine clippings, manga scans, and crayons. In Kabuki: The Alchemy especially, many of the pages are photos (or color scans) of collages, using a variety of materials; for example, the fingers of Japanese sandalwood fans become the borders of the comic panels. One technique he uses often is reusing the same artwork, the same scenes, to represent a characters' memories, or simply to shift scene back to something the reader has already seen. Imagery is very important and prominent in the series; Mack reuses the same images, often changing them slightly, and focusing on the emotional content of images and the power of memories.
Mack does not always do the art for these comics alone. In "Kabuki: Masks of the Noh" a different artist was assigned to each agent as a way of visually representing their personalities. This continued in "Kabuki: Scarab," which was written by Mack with art by Rick Mays, who had previously drawn Scarab in "Masks of the Noh."
[edit] Plot
The main character, codenamed Kabuki, is the granddaughter of a former World War II Japanese military man known as "General Kai" and an Ainu comfort woman. While working for the Noh Assassins, she experiences much conflict with her life and personal identity.
In the beginning, Kabuki and the Noh are controlled by two masked men, who are known as the Devil and Dove, although the group serves the Company, lead by the General. The Noh is charged with the control and elimination of various yakuza groups in Japan, especially the yakuza organization of Ryuichi Kai.
However, Kai is powerful politically, and important to the Noh to keep alive for the time being. For her own personal reasons, and at the request of Dove, Kabuki goes against the General's orders and kills Kai and his gang. The Board of Directors of the Noh demand she be punished for her disobedience, and she massacres them before dying herself. She is revived, and brought to a facility run by the Control Corps, a combination prison and mental hospital where rogue agents can be reprogrammed. Her former associates, the assassins of the Noh, are sent to eliminate her, but she escapes, and takes on a new identity.
[edit] Character Background
[edit] Common and Individual Descriptions of the Noh Assassins
All Noh assassins bear a dragon tattoo on the back. The wings spread to cover the range of both shoulders, while the tail reaches to lower back area. A bulletproof kabuki mask covers the face to conceal the identity. Boots and utility belts are included. The eyes of the mask are connected to a red visor, which allows the assassin to share their vision with the Noh via camera-link, all while processing data.
The general color and clothing is black leather and silk, which makes it easy for an assassin to avoid detection while moving about in shadows and darkness. The silk is mostly used to cover the arms to conceal arm movements. The body armor worn is bulletproof. All assassin have individual designs to suit them.
- Spikes are worn as part of Scarab's assassin garb, because her armor design is based on a sketch that Yukio drew in his spare time. This was done in loving memory and tribute. This appearance may be considered the most fancy look among the eight assassins.
The Noh assassins are highly skilled with Neo-Warsaw-Nato firearms, Okinawan black market weaponry, hand-to-hand combat, and attack and defense using the environment. The preferred weapons of choice are usually handguns, and various bladed weapons. The long fingernails are sometimes dipped in poisoned nail polish. Each assassin has her own favorite weapons that she normally prefers to carry out her missions.
- Kabuki's primary weapons are a pair of poisoned twin sickles which are shaped as Ainu farm tools, as tribute and loving memory of her mother.
- Scarab tends to favor simple handguns and katanas
- Tigerlily
- Snapdragon prefers a unique whip as her weapon of choice.
[edit] The Eight Noh Assassins
Kabuki is one of the eight assassins who are a special, government-backed secret society of masked and costumed female enforcers called the Noh. She and Scarab are the two main characters in Kabuki. Kabuki is a beautiful yet tragic young woman codenamed, for the words "kabuki" being scarred on her face. Her real name is Ukiko. Although her last name is never revealed, but it is possible that her full name would be Ukiko Kai. She constantly struggles for her identity, while carrying out missions.
Scarab is another assassin, who is widely considered as the second main character. Her real name is Keiko. The codename Scarab was given to her, because it is her duty to clean up the mistakes of the other Noh assassins, very much like the characteristics of the scarab beetle. She once lived in an orphanage and ran away to survive on the streets, alongside her friend Sieko. Her time on the streets mostly consisted of vandalizing both public and personal property, such as soda machines and motorcycles. Due to her popularity as a socialite, she has little or no problem meeting people, and acquiring knowledge on different groups in society. Along with the dragon tattoo on her back that all Noh assassins receive, she also has tribal tattoos which she acquired on both hips. She seeks revenge for the death of Yukio at the hands of Yamamoto Gumi, thus began her life as Scarab...
Ice
Tiger Lily
Snapdragon
Butoh
Siamese
[edit] Leaders of the Noh
Devil and Dove are two masked men, who control Kabuki and the Noh. Very little is known about them. Devil wears an oni noh mask, and Dove wears an oyaji noh mask. Dove is mostly silent and still, while Devil speaks and gives instructions to the assassins.
[edit] Individual Descriptions of Other Characters
Seiko Saiton was Keiko's childhood friend who was also murdered by Yamamoto Gumi. Her and Keiko first met at an orphanage. As a rebel, she has spent time going through different foster families, due to the indifference that she had towards groups, institutions, organizations, gangs, politics of organized religion, and rules in general. A practitioner of body modification, for she has had her ears, eyebrows, and navel pierced. For this, she was often nicknamed "Voodoo Doll", as well as "Psycho-Seiko", due to her very short temper, and love of recklessness and confrontation. However, she believed in God and Christianity, and possessed a good understanding and knowledge of the Holy Bible.
Tsukiko is the mother of Ukiko, who died while giving birth to her. A woman of Ainu descent, she was the lover of Ukiko's grandfather, but was raped and scarred by Kai out of resentment on the evening before her wedding. When the general found Tsukiko, her eyes were gone and the word "kabuki" has been carved into her back. Her name means "tsuki no musume(つき の むすめ)" or "daughter of the moon". Ukiko often sees her in dreams...
Yukio is the deceased lover of Scarab, who was murdered by Yamamoto Gumi....
Yamamoto Gumi
Akemi works at the Little Friend Animal Clinic. Is she really trying to help Ukiko??
Kenji is a mysterious young man, who has connections to the Noh, as well as law. Not much is known about him, although he was responsible for the recruiting of Keiko
General Kai is the father of Ryuchi, as well as Ukiko's grandfather. He was the lover of Tsukiko, but tragically is the grandfather of Ukiko, given the shameful truth that it was his own son who raped and scarred Tsukiko.
Ryuichi Kai a is politician who is also head of a yakuza organization. He is also the real father of Kabuki, for he once raped and killed her mother. Upon learning of Ukiko's existence, he soon finds her and viciously scars her face with the words "kabuki", just as he did with her mother.
[edit] Complete Story and Volumes
The complete story is told through these volumes, beginning with Fear the Reaper/Circle of Blood, and leading up to The Alchemy.
- Kabuki: Circle of Blood (consists of Kabuki: Fear the Reaper and Circle of Blood 1-6)
- Kabuki: Dreams (consists of Kabuki Color Special, Kabuki: Dreams of the Dead, Kabuki #1/2, and The Ghost Play)
- Kabuki: Masks of Noh (consists of Masks of the Noh 1-4)
- Kabuki: Skin Deep (consists of Kabuki: Skin Deep 1-3)
- Kabuki: Metamorphosis (consists of Kabuki 1-9)
- Kabuki: Scarab (consists of Kabuki: Scarab 1-8)
- Kabuki: The Alchemy (limited series - 9 issues)
[edit] Alternate Volumes
Versions not connected to the actual plot:
- Kabuki: Dance of Death
- Kabuki: Reflections - non-narrative collections of Kabuki-related art
[edit] Story Development, Reader Reception and Popularity
The original vision that Mack had for the overall story was for each assassin to have their own Kabuki: Agent series, inside the main story of Ukiko. The agent installments would serve to show the individual lives and perspectives for each of Ukiko's fellow assassins.
However, for currently unknown reasons, only Kabuki: Scarab which is Keiko's own story is complete. As a result, Keiko is widely considered and received by many readers as the second main character. The possible reason for this reaction would be the fact that she and Ukiko are the only Noh assassins with individual stories, and perspectives within the realm of Kabuki.
Another reason would be that unlike the rest of Kabuki, the side story of Keiko's life has more of a faster pace and is more action-oriented. Among many readers, her popularity is quite possibly larger than Ukiko's.
[edit] Upcoming Movie
David Mack is working on a live action Kabuki feature film for 20th Century Fox. Besides writing the treatment, his credits include: Visual Designer, Creative Consultant and Co-Producer. The release date is unknown.
