Basilisk vol 1-4

I’ll make this quick. If you liked Ninja Scroll at all, there’s a good chance you’ll love Basilisk too.
At first glance Basilisk appears to be little more than a Ninja Scroll rip-off - even its sub-title of ‘The Kouga Ninja Scrolls’ is a bit of a giveaway. But a quick scan through Tanoshimi’s set of extras at the back of the book reveals Basilisk is actually based around a novel by Futaro Yamada which was published in the late 1950's. As it turns out, in all probability Yoshiaki Kawajiri was heavily influenced by Yamada’s novels. Well...maybe influenced is too kind a word given the almost uncanny similarities between the two, but considering that imitation is supposed to be the most sincere form of flattery, that should bode well for Basilisk...
The set-up is simple - the former Shogun Ieyasu, in an amazing turn of fair-handedness, has decided that two rival ninja clan must fight on behalf of his heirs in order to determine his eventual successor. Cue one massive ninja bloodbath while the Shogun sits around scratching his big fat ass. The scroll of the title contains ten names from both the Kouga and the Iga clan which must be eliminated in order for either side to emerge victorious; although they’ll need little motivation considering they’ve been sworn enemies for centuries, only held back by a truce penned by Hanzo Hattori. All of which makes life much more complicated for young Gennosuke and Oboro, two ninja from the rival clans who will see their unlikely wedding plans scuppered by these unexpected developments.
From the very first pages Basilisk sets the pace - this is a purely action-driven manga with only minimal character or story development to speak of. And that’s certainly true of the ninja who killed off early in the proceedings as that list of 20 is whittled down to only a handful, helpfully pointed out by each chapter’s heading which is named ‘10 vs 10', ‘7 vs 9' etc etc. As the story progresses we do get to know some of the surviving ninja a little better through their back story and relationships with other ninja - all of which is all handled surprisingly well for an action title - but yet I wouldn’t really approach Basilisk with this in mind.
The action takes up the majority of the page space, and this is where Basilisk really comes in to its own. I’ve always thought that action is so much more difficult to convey on paper than it is on screen, yet Basilisk circumnavigates the usual problems by concentrating more on the situation building up to the fight rather than the actual fight itself. As any reader of Golgo 13 knows, this is a much more effective way of creating the suspense and excitement usually associated with action (although maybe not quite to the extent of that particular title). That’s not to say that Basilisk shies away from a good bout of ninja fisticuffs - the headcount and levels of violence should please any fan of Sonny Chiba - but much like his seminal Lone Wolf and Cub series, it’s so much more than that.
Although it is set during a specific time and place and features such real-world figures as Hanzo Hattori, Basilisk actually has its foot set firmly in the realms of fantasy. This should be clear from the opening sequences which feature a ninja with bulbous growth on his back and thin, spindly legs which can only be described as resembling a pregnant spider. Eww. And even more grotesque, imaginative creatures make an appearance as the story moves on, some of which you might recognise from a certain film directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Not all characters feature such freakish proportions, but they all can boast some kind of incredible special power and half the fun is waiting to discover exactly what this is and how they’ll make use of it to try and knock off a few more rival ninja.
And Masaki Segawa, the artist responsible for adapting Futaro Yamada’s novel to manga, has done a fine job bringing these characters to life. The heavy use of photographic and CGI backgrounds does create a very dark, grey look to the comic, yet somehow this also helps to put emphasis on the characters themselves, which are drawn in a very expressive and distinctive style. It might not be the most saleable of styles, but it suits Basilisk perfectly.
It’s such an easy title to read, and at only five volumes in length it’s fairly easy on the wallet, too. In all honesty I’d usually find it difficult to recommend such an action-driven manga, but Basilisk is a welcome exception. And even though I’ve not yet read the final volume (expect an update when I get my hands on it), it would take a catastrophe of epic proportions to change my mind. If you’re a Ninja Scroll fan like myself you’re sure to love it, but even those of you who are after a good action title could do a lot worse than seek out a copy of Basilisk.