Crisis of Faith

by Ron Marz

Book Overview

This graphic novel is a new take on the samurai tale, a staple of Japanese entertainment. In addition to all the action and dynamic artwork that typefies the genre, it is the story of one man walking... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1931484325
• ISBN13: 9781931484329
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Cross Generation Comics
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.6" x 10.2"

Customer Reviews

"Now that his faith has been shattered, what path will he follow?"

Diversity, brother. In its time CrossGenesis rocked diversity in its line of comic book titles, the company's purpose to branch out to all sorts of genres while skirting superhero conventions. SOJOURN, for example, is high fantasy fare. SIGIL and NEGATION are sci-fi space operas. RUSE smacks of the Victorian-era mysteries. ROUTE 666 falls into the horror milieu. WAY OF THE RAT flaunts that wuxia flavor. EL CAZADOR, a pirate adventure. The closest to superheroes that CrossGen ever got was CRUX, which was also a take on the fall of Atlantis. Meanwhile, THE PATH, which shares its world of Han-Jinn with WAY OF THE RAT, is a moody samurai epic. I recently became smitten with the fabulous THE WAY OF THE RAT, a buddy having loaned me several issues of that title. There was one comment in the WOTR letters column which suggested that not even some guy named Obo-san can beat Boon Sai Hong, the hero thief of THE WAY OF THE RAT. So I was instantly intrigued with this guy Obo-san and learned that he was the central character of THE PATH, a title of which first set of issues I then picked up in trade format. I'm very glad I did. THE PATH is very good. Some plot SPOILERS now. THE PATH Vol. 1: CRISIS OF FAITH collects the prequel story and the ongoing series's first six issues. The prequel (and, remember, SPOILERS) tells the story of the mighty Warlord Todosi of the House of Tsugawas who, upon the behest of the deranged Emperor of the island nation of Nayado, sets forth with his soldiers to conquer Shinacea, the distant empire across the sea. But the invaders from Nayado are met by the massive Shinacean army which then routs Todosi's forces and harries them in pursuit, all the way back to Todosi's homeland. With the tables turned and faced now with the imminent invasion of Nayado, the disgraced Todosi begins to pray. He prays for his nation's salvation, for some sort of last moment intervention, some divine gesture from above. And his prayer is answered. For those not in the know (as I recently was), CrossGen Comics is also fondly known as the Sigilverse to its fans. CrossGen interweaved a common theme into various of its comic books, this being that of sigils being branded on characters in these comic books and endowing the bearers with extraordinary powers. Todosi becomes one such sigil-bearer, the sigil bestowed upon him by a mysterious woman who appeared in the wake of Todosi's prayers. Because of this sigil Todosi is able to repel the foreign hordes. But he is unable to survive the assault of godlike beings who sometime later manifest from the skies. And with Todosi's death, the sigil passes on to Oba-san... And who is Oba-san? He once was called Nobuyuki, Todosi's brother, before he ventured into monkhood in search of enlightenment and coming to be simply known as Oba-san. Mere moments after Todosi's passing, the once reflective Oba-san vows vengeance on the fickle gods to whom he once prayed. He also pits himself in direct opposition to the Emperor o

Highly enjoyed and highly recommended

When Mitsumume, the Emperor of Nayado, decides to attack the empire of Shinacea, he sets into motion a sequence of events that will turn the entire world. The attack in unsuccessful, and Shinacea in turn launches its own attack, threatening to overthrown the Throne of Petals. And when the gods themselves intervene, in a whole capricious and unmerciful manner, the monk Obo-san takes up their most powerful weapon and declares war upon them himself. This is the story of one monk, and a crisis of faith that sets the world to trembling. Overall, I really loved this book. The story is fascinating, and the artwork is simply breathtaking. Admittedly, it is true that the double-page spread sometimes makes the story somewhat hard to follow. But, I didn't really find that too much of a problem. My biggest complaint is that this book is just part one in a multi-book story, so now I must go out and get more books, if I want to see what happens next. But, that said, this is a very good book, one that I highly enjoyed, and highly recommend.

Good Stuff

The Path is a very good read for avid comic fans that look beyond muscle bound super men. It's artistic approach is done with a Japanese flat style with compositions layed out like the Lone Wolf and Cub story line. I find it refreshing. I totally disagree with "zero02" comments on the art. I think they're beautiful and show a CROSS-cultural influence in the art. Keep up the good work Crossgen.

Intriguing and involving

The Path- Crisis of Faith has been the first book I have read so far from the Crossgen universe. A samurai story is what motivated me to pick up and buy this book not being familiar with the artists or the writer before. But from the little knowledge I have about comics and comic art, it is delightful to see art work here that is a pleasant deviation from usual western comic art work. There are images within this book that seem inspired from Japanese comic art - especially the images of raindrops creating ripples on puddles of water distorting reflections. The comic script is also very intriguing. Feudal Japan has invoked strong visions among many artists and writers, as is also evident in The Path. Clearly, this factor is responsible for setting the tone for a wonderful manner of storytelling.The story of Obo San, and his companions - each bound by their honor and the decisions that they have made in the face of difficult choices, makes for a very intriguing story indeed. Even more intriguing is the treachery and the conniving that exists behind the facade of honor within the nobility. And as Obo San suspects, possibly within the realms of the Gods themselves. Obo San and his companions search for answers and truth behind that facade, despite the fact that they have incurred the wrath of their mysterious Emperor, and imminent war threatens their people. Whether the path they have chosen leads them to truth and discovery, or death, it promises to be a very eventful journey.Also eventful is the comic book itself. And I use the term comic here strictly in ways only a comic book reader would understand. If anything, 'The Path' only illustrates how the medium has grown far beyond the irrelevance of being called comic. 'The Path' will leave you wanting for more about this strange journey. A superbly crafted journey that won't disappoint anyone.

A Striking Approach to Storytelling

If you're even reading this review you probably already read comics. This is one of the most interesting approaches out there. Sears and the rest of the art team are creating a new language for graphic storytelling here. Most comics (at least Western comics with which I am familiar) try to trick the reader into forgetting that he's observing a series of static images. The Path revels in this -- most pages are constructed around a single central image or event which may be depicted in multiple ways, and time does not necessarily progress across the page from left to right. Other pages might be constructed of a dozen tiny panels, none of which make much sense individually but which, when taken as a whole, give the reader an almost visceral insight into the chaos going on in the characters' lives. The book simply presents these images and the reader fills in the intersticies. This allows the story to bypass all the analytical tricks readers have developed to help them understand "what's going on"; instead, the story aims its way directly into your head. The excellent and surprising script by Ron Marz complements this presentation, and the static graphic presentation is echoed in the stubborness of the each of the characters.Some may worry that a reader of "The Path" will miss out if he doesn't get all of the other CrossGen books. While I recommend each of them as worth at least sampling, "The Path" is totally different than any of the others (even the Marz-written Scion and Sojourn) and stands on its own. Yes, the main character of "The Path" is marked with a sigil, a mysterious symbol which gives the bearer great power, just like characters in other CrossGen books, but that's really all you need to know about those other titles. (As to the sigil's origins or purpose, this hasn't been revealed in any other CrossGen book either.) Ultimately, there is considerably less connection between most CrossGen books than there is in a typical month between Spider-Man, Daredevil, and the Avengers. "The Path" is not what you are expecting, but you owe it to yourself to give it a try.