SNK brought their fighting arcade game The Last Blade to new life as a webcomic illustrated by Cocoon Productions and released by Tapas Media. It was published in print as a comic book or a manga, depending on who you ask.

The description is paraphrased as follows,

“Japan, 1863: It is the twilight of the Samurai. After finding his adopted brother standing over their father’s lifeless body, 17-year-old swordsman Kaede sets out on a journey of revenge and to hone his strange powers — if they don’t kill him first…”

I was not a huge fan of the video game and that is not a knock. It just rarely crossed my path, but on the opportunity it did, I definitely played it and it was fun.

This comic book does a good job of bringing the characters to life in a new way. I found Kaede’s quest for vengeance very compelling and his connecting with new friends along the way to be interesting. It had a good blend of serious moments and some comedy.

Now, I did think the artwork was a bit rudimentary, but it was not terrible. You could tell it was just meant to get the story across and to look good for readers who might be using a mobile.

Essentially, while the illustrations are basic, the story is entertaining and it definitely feels nostalgic to read about these characters from a 90s video game.

Check out the cover below:

The first game in this series was released in 1997 by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS system. It is seen as a “spiritual successor” to their video game Samurai Showdown.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of the manga Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody Volume 10 and the comic book Nexus: As It Happened. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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