The popular game artist takes a crack at comics.

Here at GotNext, we don't normally talk much about manga and comics, but when a game industry great like Yasushi Suzuki takes a stab at his own book, you take notice. Purgatory Kabuki is the first full-length manga for the prolific artist and he assumes the role of both author and illustrator, allowing us our some insight into Suzuki as a storyteller.

In an interesting turn for an artist that usually departs from Japanese artistic convention, Suzuki seems to revel in his heritage for this Western-market original. Perhaps because he knows he is creating for the American audience, Purgatory Kabuki revels in Japanese culture and tradition, with influences of ukiyoe painting, Japanese mythology, and, of course, kabuki theater.

Using Yomi, the Japanese underworld, as a backdrop, Purgatory Kabuki tells the story of a nameless swordsman, fighting without reason, and collecting the swords of his slain opponents. When he meets his match in the form of a young demon spawn named Enishi, he accepts her as his better, and swears his allegiance. In exchange for a powerful new body, he will assume the name of Imanotsurugi and help Enishi to collect a thousand swords, needed to escape the underworld and ascend to heaven.

Suffice it to say that the grim storyline and hellish setting mean the pages are packed with action. The bloody and intense sword fights are a perfect match for Suzuki's distinctive art style. In a departure from the digital paintings he's known for, the panels of Purgatory Kabuki feature a more minimalist pen and ink approach, with bold, kinetic strokes of the pen that wonderfully convey the energy of each stroke of the sword.

Dialog is quite minimal at times. The plot is at turns a thin vehicle for the action, and at others quite surprising. Suzuki's video game industry roots seem to show here, with a series of "boss" fights against an eclectic cast of foes. But just when you think you've gotten used to the rhythm of the story, some unusual turns save the story from repetition.

Lamentably, there are a few areas where Suzuki's inexperience becomes apparent. While the art is all quite lovely, the continuity is not always easy to figure out. The lack of dialog, stark backgrounds, and very few establishing shots for each scene make it somewhat difficult to follow the action at times. These more subtle aspects of communicating important information to the reader are the things Suzuki most needs to learn.

Despite this, Purgatory Kabuki is an impressive first effort, and there is little doubt that Yasushi Suzuki has the talent and creativity to make a wonderful manga-ka. His art is absolutely one-of-a-kind, and his unique interpretation of Yomi will not soon be forgotten. Fans will not be disappointed, and those just looking for something different in the world of action comics would do well to pay attention.

After six monthly episodes of Sam and Max, many of us were starting to get used to the idea of Freelance Police being regular companions, and not the nostalgic memories we had longed to recapture. While Telltale had been dropping hints that it planned to continue the series — the fact that they called it "Season One" was probably the first clue — there was little said about  when and the how. 

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It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since the Freelance Police first defended the streets of New York City, but lo and behold, their first official comic book, Monkeys Violating the Heavenly Temple was released 20 years ago today. The demented tale featured neither monkeys nor heavenly temple, but it did mark the beginning of the legacy of comic, cartoons, and games that thrives to this day.

To celebrate, Telltale is reprinting the 1995 compilation Surfin’ the Highway, which has been out of print for over a decade, and remains highly sought after, commonly fetching triple digit prices at auction. This tome chronicles all of the dog and rabbity-thing’s comic book adventures, and a smattering of one-page cartoons and other goodies. This reissue will be extended to include a lot of the loose odds and ends from projects since the original issuing.

I, for one, couldn’t be happier. As brilliant as the games are, Sam and Max’s humor has always been strongest in its raw, original form. I haven’t been able to read Surfin’ the Highway since my father gave away his copy to his brother, and I’ll be there for the reissue day one.

In related news, Telltale also unveiled their boxed version of their episodic Sam and Max games. This DVD packs all 6 games with a generous smattering of DVD-style extras, including commentaries, shorts, trailers, and concept art. It is available for free to those that downloaded the episodes, and for $35 for newcomers.

[Via Telltale Games]

It was announced earlier today that Rockstar Games has “temporarily suspended” the release of their brutally violent stealth/survival game Manhunt 2 across all platforms. This comes as a reaction to the ESRB’s decision to assign the game an AO rating for graphic violent content.

This wouldn’t be a death sentence, except console manufacturers - namely Sony and Nintendo - have denied licenses to games that receive an AO rating. This effectively endows the ESRB with the absolute power of censorship. The ESRB knows this, and it gives them incentive to be more generous in assigning the dreaded Adults Only brand to games it disapproves of. After all, the ESRB is a privately owned body with no public or legal accountability for fairness and consistency.

Never did the ESRB consider giving the first Manhunt such a rating, but now, just a few years later, they’re being rewarded for doing so as the arbiters of good taste, and robbing you of your choice as a consumer. Australia has faced a similar crisis. Its Office of Film and Literature Classification rates games based on content, and certification by the OFLC is required for sale within Australian borders. The OFLC has refused to rate games that it doesn’t approve of, effectively banning their sale. Such was the case with Grand Theft Auto III.

Now we don’t have government intrusion in this case. While there have been attempts at legislation to require the rating of games sold in the US, they have been largely unsuccessful. Our constitution does a good job of preventing government censorship, but it is of little help when an entire industry is controlled by three companies that have conspired to give the ESRB absolute authority.

Yeah, Rockstar could port the game to the PC, the last bastion of open development, free from license approval, but it shouldn’t have to. First parties wield too much power, and at this point it seems unclear why we even need them. Why can’t we have an open, industry-wide standard like DVD that imposes no such restrictions on content? I’ve been sick to death of games being denied because they’re 2D or they’re not commercial enough, and when we toss censorship into the mix, it becomes increasingly clear that this model is bad for publishers, and, in many ways, for consumers as well.

Get pissed off, people.

When the people that founded this country established the amendment guaranteeing that the rights of speech would be protected, they were different times. A handful of corporations didn’t control the media, and special interest groups didn’t even exist. Now the idea of a country tolerant and respectful of diverse ideas is becoming a mere memory, and the battle can’t even be fought in the courtrooms as it once was.

Burn, baby, burn.

The panic rippling through the entertainment industry since Don Imus’ firing has reached critical mass. Yesterday, XM Satellite Radio, a subscriber-based pay service, suspended the Opie and Anthony Show for 30 days, and inside sources have been indicated their removal is permanent. This comes as a reaction to comments a homeless man on their show made about lusting after several prominent political figures.

This move comes not as a reaction to an outcry from an offended public. In fact, XM advertises the show as “raw, outrageous, and uncensored” and the segment was common fare for the show. It comes as a result of certain political figures, Al Sharpton chief among them, who are lobbying to threaten the merger between XM and Sirius to leverage against the show.

Basically, these people are dictating what kind of comedy I’m allowed to spend my money on. We’ve crossed the line. This isn’t about business or sponsors any more, this about a small number of people deciding what can and can’t be said publicly. These people have too much power and it’s time to push back.

So what can we do? Don’t be a silent majority any more. Sign up for People Against Censorship a new advocacy group giving the opposition a voice. They represent the many of us that are content to be offended from time to time for the sake of having a country that’s proud to have a dialog of disparate ideas.

If you subscribe to XM, cancel your subscription today. Don’t take the free months, rebates or discounts they’ll throw at you. CANCEL. They don’t care about providing the service they advertise. If they decide to change their position and stand behind the creative freedoms of their on-air talent, you can always resubscribe, but until then, hit them where it hurts.