Kabuki Library Volume 1 by David W. Mack

As much as anything, it is and has been a platform for Mack to experiment, both as a writer and an artist, expanding on what can and cannot be done in comics as much it is about the character’s growth, the book and Mack both grow as well, as, almost issue by issue, Mack expands on his repertoire of styles - both as a writer and and artist - which becomes readily apparent when seeing the series in collected form. But the story itself is a hyper-personal narrative about growth and change and the nature, meaning and value of family. Kabuki is, ostensibly, the story of a ninja assassin in a futuristic Japan that is subject to corporate control, replete with crime, and dabbed with elements of cyber-punk. 1, a 400 page tome that collects Circle of Blood and Dreams, the first two Kabuki books, as well as a number of extras, including essays, pin-ups, and other goodies, with the promise of more Library Editions to follow, collecting the rest of the series.

Personally, Mack‘s work has long been a favorite, and his Daredevil run played no small part in dragging me back into comics after a few years away from the medium, his breaks from normative storytelling and rigid panels a reminder of the potential the comics can have when focused on character and artistic quality.įor the past 20 years, Mack has worked intermittently on his creator-owned series Kabuki, which has meandered through a number of publishers, first with Caliber and then Image and then Marvel, as it grew from a college senior thesis into a career-spanning endeavor that has seen seven collected volumes, spawned a children’s book The Shy Creatures, and has been considered for live-action treatment.Įarlier this month, Dark Horse - now the fourth publisher to lay hands on the title - put out Kabuki Library Edition Vol. Mack is persistently bursting with energy, willing to take the time to walk fans through his art and talk about his different books, all with a genuine humility that frankly understates the quality of his work, which for decades now has transcended the traditional strictures of comic books to offer a product that, narratively, freely crosses the lines between literature, poetry, and comics, and artistically melds mixed media and painted pieces with pencils and ink. If you’ve ever spoken to David Mack at a convention, you know that he is one of the most effusive and approachable creators in the business, appearing year after year at every major New York convention, always set up across the aisle from fellow Daredevil artist Alex Maleev, always friendly and never pushy. 1, as well as his work on Fight Club 2 and everything else. Writer, artist, and genuinely nice guy David Mack took the time to answer some questions that we had about his recently released retrospective Kabuki Library Edition Vol.

Kabuki Library Volume 1 by David W. Mack