Kabuki: The Alchemy ~David Mack
2009, Marvel Publishing, Inc
320 pages
5/5 stars
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
~Mahatma Gandhi
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it now. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.”
~Goethe
I have stepped away from the “new and improved” review format for a very important reason. This review is as much a statement on creativity and change as it is a review of David Mack’s latest graphic novel. Why? Because Kabuki: The Alchemy, is as much a treatise on the creative process and an encouragement to “move your ass and make it happen” as it is the next chapter in the life of Mack’s seminal creation.
One of the many points David Mack makes in this semi-autobiographical work is that we often wait for some form of external validation before we will overcome the many and varied barriers that we erect to keep us from exploring our talents, from reaching our creative potential, and from being an agent of change in our own lives. Many forms of literature and art have layers of meaning. I am not sure that I have seen anything quite as obviously multi-layered that works so well from start to finish. The execution of this story is incredible.
Though the seventh volume in the graphic novel series chronicling the life of this female Japanese assassin, it is meant to function as a starting off point for new readers as well as a rewarding new direction in the storyline for those who have faithfully followed the series. Mack expertly weaves threads from the previous graphic novels into this tale and does so in a way that propels the story forward instead of it feeling like a series of flashbacks. I promise you this, The Alchemy is like nothing you have ever read before.
