Broken Frontier

After the serpentine build-up of issues one, two, and three, Bounty Killer comes to an unexpected climax, in more ways than one…

The first book was the introduction, familiarizing readers with an (anti-)hero known only as "BK," the Bounty Killer, and also a villain, whose conceptualization is as memorable and culturally transmutable as Satan himself – The Red Man. The second issue gave us an insider’s view of The Red Man’s modus operandi, his modes and mores, while the third book played haphazardly with time, allowing readers a voyeuristic peek at BK’s past as well as that of The Red Man, revealing our hero’s past indoctrination into Native American magic, a fated romance (one yet alive), and ultimately a hint that that which our protagonist left behind him was now moving rapidly to return. Ultimately, then, here comes the fourth and – for now – final chapter, in which The Red Man, The Red Man’s plans, BK, BK’s past, and a fate as fickle as any centrical to the bloodiest of Greek tragedies all come crashing together for a rousing finish.

The worst and best part is that this isn’t the end, but rather a turning point, a place where the plot indeed culminates, but only to reveal the beginnings of a far larger epic ahead. Writer Michael Westerman churns out a script laced with sex and death, brigandry and bounty, spiritualism and sadism, all for the sake of an unforgettable finale. As with previous installments, the plot is wholly unpredictable, veering into territory seemingly suspect, bizarre, disconnected with what’s come before, but – as again with past issues – it all becomes crystal by the end, abundantly clear. And what an end it is: however, those looking for something even relatively standard, classic, something easily digested and enjoyed…stay far away; for those searching for an epic completely unconventional and, yes, at times even difficult, then Bounty Killer has proven the genuine article, the real deal, the indisputable and yet reigning champ.

Artist Donny Hadiwidjaja, whose highly imaginative, manga-styled lines have graced books 2 and 3 before, produces a wildly successful final batch of pages, especially in his depiction of The Red Man’s brothel (hey, I told you there was sex involved) and a backstory involving a gang of resourcefully brutal bandits. Where Donny’s concerned, the action is byzantine and always picturesque, the characters beautiful, the sensuality as bunt and whimsical as any manga, and the backgrounds rendered with an accomplished panache.

This is the final part of the current Bounty Killer mini, and it gives the story a respectable place to break, and the readers a final few scenes that should leave them needing a break to catch their collective breath! This has been one of the most innovative new titles to come out in the past few years, and while the final product won’t be for everyone, it’s a ride worth taking to find out for sure. It’ll be gorgeous, and it’ll be thrilling, and it’ll damn every convention of storytelling you’ve ever taken for granted while not necessarily being experimental in the least. If all that sounds like something you’d like – then this is the missing link to that wild new experience you’ve been looking for! This book was more thrilling than 300, which may mean a lot, or may mean a little, but whatever your opinion, it definitely means something!

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You can order Bounty Killer as well as other Americanime and Withdrawal Studios products direct at: www.americanimeproductions.com