Broken Frontier

A full-color, oversized issue of the hit series that everyone should be reading, Bounty Killer #3 is the most remarkable installment of the indy masterpiece.

Where issue #1 focused on the trials of BK himself, and issue #2 shined the spotlight on the mysterious Redman (named for wearing a red top-hat and trenchcoat, not because he’s Native American), issue #3 takes an innovative plunge by focusing on a pair of characters not yet introduced – an old Indian medicine man and his daughter, who is hinted to possibly be the abandoned wife of the series’ hero. The medicine man (named Silent Bear), at the request of his daughter to discover why her husband has not yet returned, enters a hypnotic, trance-like state in which a historical vision is revealed to him – a vision of the one and only Napoleon, struggling during the warlord’s nearly disastrous military action at the peak of The War of the Third Coalition. Silent Bear’s vision quickly shifts to include the Redman, who comes to Napoleon’s aid during the would-be conqueror’s darkest hour, but then the magic-dream comes to an abrupt cessation. The Indian’s fearful belief that comes from this: "Another has been chosen by the Redman…"

And there’s more, oh so much more to this issue’s events: there are a scattering of smaller sequences, including one with our protagonist, BK, and his study of the strange book he retained in the previous issues (a book which was said to have been "handed down" since "the times of Napoleon," and which sports a clandestine symbol on its cover of mysterious origins). Writer Michael Westerman continues to frustrate all attempts at second guessing the flow and feel of the plot, though this issue does bridge the highest number of gaps to create a startling number of connections, more so than any previous chapter. There are small, tricksy little hints of character and story connections littered throughout, including imagery which connects BK to the medicine man by more than just familial bonds. The book and Napoleon and the Redman are also tethered together in the final few panels and yet nothing – and I mean nothing – is actually revealed. The clues are small, and the truths they suggest are merely that – suggestions. As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, the story of Bounty Killer is an intensely complex one, and while the events are forever fast and seemingly frivolous, the meat of the matter is absolutely there, buried in the details and the series’ steadily expanding intrigue.

Regular series artist Donny Hadiwidjaja returns to give more than just his usual manga-American blend of nonstop kinesthesia; in addition to his dynamic pencils and inks found herein, Donny also pulls full coloring duties for this third issue, and the final product is a true marvel to behold (pun very much intended). The special limited (European) edition of issue #3 is an oversized (magazine-size), full-color comic that enhances the level of the work from a full-course meal to a sumptuous, gluttonous feast. The visuals are powerfully vivid, especially the historical sequences depicting the battle of Three Emperors in Austerlitz, where the sheer numbers involved and the level of violence employed, is enhanced to a surrealistic, (dare I say it) comic book level. Even the quieter scenes are superiorly portrayed, with color and panel aesthetics all their own – a conceit which allows the comic to outshine many of its more hum-drum contemporaries.

To break it down: the national edition of Bounty Killer #3 will be a regular sized, black and white comic just as the first two issues were, but if you hurry you can order direct (while supplies last) this extravagantly limited edition from the company website (listed below). And best of all? This super-extreme version of the comic is only $1.00 more than the standard-format copy – how amazing is that?!? Even if you miss out, and especially if you have no idea what I’m rambling about in this review, Americanime plans to release issues #3 and #4 as a full-color, stand-alone graphic novel in the near future, to help fans catch up and allow new readers to hop on board while the hoppin’s good!

Seriously, this book is an ungodly enthralling read, with a style and flow you won’t find anywhere else, no matter how long you search. So stop searching already and read this book! It’s original as well as being a blend of styles that every comic fan will recognize and love. It’s a story you can’t help but be swallowed whole into, and (in case you haven’t gotten it yet) it’s bloody good.

# # #

You can order Bounty Killer #1, #2 and the full-color, over-sized version of #3 as well as other Americanime products direct at: www.americanimeproductions.com