Naruto Review #1: Issue #557 "Jokey Boy" Review

The first of many reviews I hope.

The battle between Gaara of the Sand village and the deceased, former Mizukage rages on.  I love the explanations about how the various ninjutsu attacks work, in the case of this issue, the Mizukage's clone of oil and water.  It provides a good basis for explanations on how these attacks are eventually defended against or defeated.  Mashashi Kishimoto always had a long history of prepping his stories with plausible attacks and how they could be defended against/defeated.

As far as stories go, this one is about average.  It shows good character consistency, the fact that Gaara is a long range strategist and uses the environment around him.  This story, however, is one in a number of "battles" in the fourth Ninja War that is taking way too long to finish.  While the battles are extremely entertaining, they only enhance an already complex mythology that probably won't be expanded upon.  While deepening the mythology provides a "fan fantasy" factor, it does little to move the actual story along.  If a story remains stagnant for too long, or too much time has elapsed between critical issues, then fans may shy away from the popular series.  I don't see this happening, but still, like many other fans I'm sure, I wish the story would progress a bit quicker.
Overall, I'd give it a three out of five stars.

"Singular Pursuit" & "Self-Reflection" details

The first 2 stories are set.  Here are the details.

"Singular Pursuit" (2-part story, 8 pages each)
The Kuroi Hiryū gang brutally attack a stagecoach along the Southwest Passage.  They encounter resistance from a man only known as the Mentor.  But what can one frail, old man with a sword do against six vicious riders armed with swords and shotguns?

The Kuroi Hiryū gang is based off the modern day Bōsōzoku,  which translates into "running violent tribe."  They're a subculture in Japanese motorcycle gangs.

"Self-Reflection" (12 page short story)
The ronin known as the Avenger stops at a Goze musician's camp for the night while on his way to kill a prominent governor.  Speaking with her, he examines his motives for the actions he's committed and about to commit.  She turns out to be an assassin sent to stop him, an assassin who can perfectly mirror his passionate actions with icy calm.

I'm still tightening them up, but they're coming off great.  If these two stories sound good, please don't forget to donate.  Only through donations can they be completed.  Just go to the Kickstarter.com link on this blog's home page.

Oh, and there are two spots open in "Singular Pursuit" for the incentives involving your image drawn into the story.  These incentives are still available.

Contest Time

Answer these questions correctly and be eligible in a raffle for "The Mentor" character art print, drawn by Aaron McConnell:

What's the name the popular samurai manga created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima?
Who is leader of Team 7 in the mange "Naruto"?
Who is the legendary director of the "Samurai Seven"?

The Mentor:

Contest concludes on September 30th.  Winner will be announced on October 3rd.