In HONOR AND CURSE #9, available from Mad Cave Studios on March 10th, 2021, an assassin threatens to end the Iga and Koga alliance before it begins, and Genshi learns his connection to the Elder One started before Genshi was born.
The Details
- Written By: Mark London
- Art By: Nicolás Salamanca
- Colors By: Tekino
- Letters By: Miguel Angel Zapata
- Cover Art By: Nicolás Salamanca, Tekino
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: March 10, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes, but in a different way from previous issues. The last several issues fused a mixture of clan intrigue, political maneuverings, and Genshi’s demon possession. This issue is much more action-oriented, focusing on mystical martial arts and demons. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it is… different.
That said, it’s not perfect. There is one beat that doesn’t sit right which we’ll cover in the spoiler section below, but it doesn’t significantly reduce the enjoyment of the issue.
The art is consistently stellar from the creative team. Mad Cave will be lucky to keep this art team on board as long as they can.
If you’d like to take a peek at the at, check out our HONOR AND CURSE #9 preview here.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
We start with Lady Akemi fighting off an assassin who appears at the end of the last issue (take a gander at our HONOR AND CURSE #8 review to get caught up). Lady Akemi holds her own but the assassin slowly gets the upper hand. In a desperate move, Lady Akemi tackles the assassin, sending them both through a window and alerting the nearby guards.
General Esaki and Lady Yua hear the commotion and head out to investigate. When they see Lady Akemi in trouble, the team from Koga leaps into action, putting the assassin down.
Here’s where there’s an odd beat that doesn’t sit right. Despite Esaki and Yua’s clearly superior martial arts skills, they make no effort to capture the assassin for questioning. The natural questions of “Who are you? Who hired you? How did you get in?” aren’t addressed in any way. They simply kill the assassin and walk away.
It’s a small quibble, but it sticks out like a sore thumb.
During the fight with the assassin, we’re treated to a flashback of Akemi as a child on the night of her mother’s death. It’s clear Lady Akemi has a special hatred for assassins that sneak up on their prey in their homes, and the memory of the death spurs Lady Akemi into the tackling move.
Cut to another flashback when Lady Akemi was in a relationship with Genshi. In the flashback Akemi thanks Genshi for killing her father. Of course, this flashback is really a nightmare that startles Genshi awake.
Genshi leaves his bed and sees a green glow pulsing from the courtyard outside. When he enters the circle, he sees a large orb in the shape of his talisman. The Elder One explains it’s time to divulge his own origin story to Genshi and why he must help him tame the demon within him.
Without giving away the big reveals, we learn the Elder One has direct ties to Lady Akemi and Genshi’s mother, Lady Sawa, and the Elder One’s mission is much more personal than Genshi realized.
Final Thoughts
HONOR AND CURSE #9, available from Mad Cave Studios on March 10th, 2021, amps up the action and death to reveal copious amounts of motivation for all the players involved in the story. The art is excellent, and the personal stakes just went a few notches higher.
Score: 8/10
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