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Katana #1-10
Katana, Volume 1: Soultaker
From the pages of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA and BIRDS OF PREY, Katana stars in her very own series! The former assassin and new Justice Leaguer embarks on a noble quest to restore the Outsiders to their former glory! Will she succeed, or will she be overcome by the power of her sword, the Soul Taker?
A stirring new graphic novel written by Ann Nocenti (CATWOMAN, GREEN ARROW) with art by Alex Sanchez (Star Wars: The Old Republic).
Collects: Katana #1-10 and Justice League Dark 23.1: The Creeper.
A stirring new graphic novel written by Ann Nocenti (CATWOMAN, GREEN ARROW) with art by Alex Sanchez (Star Wars: The Old Republic).
Collects: Katana #1-10 and Justice League Dark 23.1: The Creeper.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2014
About the author
Ann Nocenti
741 books120 followersAnn Nocenti is most noted as an editor for Marvel Comics, for whom she edited New Mutants and The Uncanny X-Men. She made her comics writing debut on a brief run of Spider-Woman (#47-50) and subsequently wrote a long run of Daredevil (1st series) #236-291 (minus #237) from 1986 to 1991, directly following on from Frank Miller's definitive Born Again storyline. She also wrote the 1986 Longshot limited series for Marvel, and in the same year produced the Someplace Strange graphic novel in collaboration with artist John Bolton. She wrote "the Inhumans Graphic Novel" in 1988. In 1993, she wrote the 16-issue run of Kid Eternity for the DC Comics imprint Vertigo.
In Incredible Hulk #291, published in September 1983 (cover date January 1984), Ann Nocenti made a cameo appearance, talking to Dr. Bruce Banner, in a history written by Bill Mantlo, drawn by Sal Buscema and inked by Carlos Garzón and Joe Sinnot. That time Ann Nocenti was Assistant Editor for Larry Hama on Incredible Hulk and X-Men.
She is noted for her left-wing political views which, particularly during her run on Daredevil, caused some controversy among some fans who didn't agree with her politics.
She created several popular characters, including Typhoid Mary, Blackheart, Longshot and Mojo, and wrote the 1998 X-Men novel Prisoner X.
Although Nocenti left comic books in the '90s after the industry sales collapsed, she later returned to the field, penning stories such as 2004's Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows.
In Ultimate X-Men, a reimagination of the X-Men comic, the character Longshot, who was invented by her, has the civil name Arthur Centino. His last name, Centino, is an anagram of Nocenti and a homage to Nocenti. The name Arthur is for the co-creator of Longshot Arthur Adams who was Ann Nocenti's artist on the Longshot Mini Series.
She edited High Times magazine for one year (2004) under the name Annie Nocenti and is the former editor of the screenwriting magazine Scenario.
In Incredible Hulk #291, published in September 1983 (cover date January 1984), Ann Nocenti made a cameo appearance, talking to Dr. Bruce Banner, in a history written by Bill Mantlo, drawn by Sal Buscema and inked by Carlos Garzón and Joe Sinnot. That time Ann Nocenti was Assistant Editor for Larry Hama on Incredible Hulk and X-Men.
She is noted for her left-wing political views which, particularly during her run on Daredevil, caused some controversy among some fans who didn't agree with her politics.
She created several popular characters, including Typhoid Mary, Blackheart, Longshot and Mojo, and wrote the 1998 X-Men novel Prisoner X.
Although Nocenti left comic books in the '90s after the industry sales collapsed, she later returned to the field, penning stories such as 2004's Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows.
In Ultimate X-Men, a reimagination of the X-Men comic, the character Longshot, who was invented by her, has the civil name Arthur Centino. His last name, Centino, is an anagram of Nocenti and a homage to Nocenti. The name Arthur is for the co-creator of Longshot Arthur Adams who was Ann Nocenti's artist on the Longshot Mini Series.
She edited High Times magazine for one year (2004) under the name Annie Nocenti and is the former editor of the screenwriting magazine Scenario.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
September 30, 2021
(C+) 65% | Almost Satisfactory
Notes: Draining incongruity and dialogue-fatuity, can't settle on a foe, changes purpose on the go: death by utter ambiguity.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issue #2 ◦ Issue #3 ◦ Issue #4 ◦ Issue #5 ◦ Issue #6 ◦ Justice League Dark #23.1 ◦ Issue #7 ◦ Issue #8-10
Notes: Draining incongruity and dialogue-fatuity, can't settle on a foe, changes purpose on the go: death by utter ambiguity.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issue #1 ◦ Issue #2 ◦ Issue #3 ◦ Issue #4 ◦ Issue #5 ◦ Issue #6 ◦ Justice League Dark #23.1 ◦ Issue #7 ◦ Issue #8-10
January 30, 2018
Hmm. I enjoyed the Asian influences of this. There is some artwork in here I appreciated as well. This is basically a revenge tale and I am not really into revenge tales. I did find this a little confusing as to what was happening and it was grisly.
This isn't really my cup of tea.
This isn't really my cup of tea.
September 21, 2014
Bullet Review:
WHAT THE F$&@ DID I JUST READ??!
*brains melts*
WORST COMIC EVAH.
Full Review:
Just contemplating writing a review for this...this...pile of slick paper...gives me a migraine. I've been avoiding coming back to this non-review because I just don't even have the words to say how GORRAM AWFUL this is.
Let's start with the cover blurb. THANK GOD for cover blurb authors! Had he or she not written those few paragraphs on the back, I would have been LOST in the middle of the jungle in my skivvies and a bowl to defeat the snakes at my feet. Figuring out what the plot of this Pile of Slick Paper (PSP) is impossible. And it's impossible because it changes every few pages.
I was going to go all creative and make a Wheel jpeg at this point and put in the dozen or more plots that cycle through this book and then do a funny WHEEL OF PLOT LINES routine! But then I figured that that time spent in Corel Paint might be better spent using my words to talk about the lack of cohesion in this PSP. And I didn't need yet another excuse to procrastinate on writing this review.
You might think, since this is about Katana and Katana is Japanese, this may influence the style choices of the book. Maybe it would bear similarity to samurai comics.
Maybe it does, but f@#$ if I could tell. I could follow the plot in Lone Wolf and Cub; I didn't have to flip to the f@#$ing back of the book to figure out where the f@#$ I was in the plot.
It's like a kid hyped up on Pixie Sticks. I just saw a few episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras yesterday because I was cleaning out closets and wanted some background noise but nothing I would care too much about (hence how the audiobooks got nixed). And I do imbibe in junk TV; sometimes I will shamefully deny it, but I like my junk TV, my Kitchen Nightmares, my Clean House, my Toddlers & Tiaras.
Seriously, they take a little girl and do THAT to her?!
Nocenti starts out with one thing...and then Killer Croc appears and eats a sword! Time to head to Japan and practice with the coil sword. Next page is Shun the Untouchable, a woman who's entire body is one tattoo of some obscure THING. Why?
Don't look behind that curtain moron! DON'T LOOK!
Jack Ryder is an asshole who always appears at the scene of the crime. Katana fights against her brother-in-law. OH NO!!! Nori's business is in shambles!
Come to think of it...it's been EONS since I last saw the "Wizard of Oz". I read "Wicked", didn't feel it, but have always wanted to see the musical. And THEN there's that NEW Oz movie I want to check out, but have been a bit intimidated about since half the people LURVE IT and the other half say it's MEH.
The art goes from being OK (nothing memorable) to OMG WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER FACE??!?! No wonder, as there is a carousel of people that parade through this PSP, popping in to scribble some drawings and then leaving. Seriously, there are FIFTEEN artists in the credits. FIFTEEN.
Consistency...out the window!
My office was recently redesigned so that I was forced to move from my nice window cube to one near the front door. Why do I always get stuck near the front door? That's where my first cube was, and there I am, back at the front door. At least it's near the water fountain and the bathroom.
And then...to make it "better"...the comic just ends. The last issue is slapshod non-ending with a cliffhanger that will never see a conclusion because after 10 issues, DC FINALLY WOKE THE F@#$ UP and canceled this POS PSP.
Awful characters.
Awful art.
Cliched plot (What plot you could find).
Inconsistent.
Inscrutable.
Recommended for: Torture. And Anne. Because this is so awful, it needs to be shared. :) You're welcome!
WHAT THE F$&@ DID I JUST READ??!
*brains melts*
WORST COMIC EVAH.
Full Review:
Just contemplating writing a review for this...this...pile of slick paper...gives me a migraine. I've been avoiding coming back to this non-review because I just don't even have the words to say how GORRAM AWFUL this is.
Let's start with the cover blurb. THANK GOD for cover blurb authors! Had he or she not written those few paragraphs on the back, I would have been LOST in the middle of the jungle in my skivvies and a bowl to defeat the snakes at my feet. Figuring out what the plot of this Pile of Slick Paper (PSP) is impossible. And it's impossible because it changes every few pages.
I was going to go all creative and make a Wheel jpeg at this point and put in the dozen or more plots that cycle through this book and then do a funny WHEEL OF PLOT LINES routine! But then I figured that that time spent in Corel Paint might be better spent using my words to talk about the lack of cohesion in this PSP. And I didn't need yet another excuse to procrastinate on writing this review.
You might think, since this is about Katana and Katana is Japanese, this may influence the style choices of the book. Maybe it would bear similarity to samurai comics.
Maybe it does, but f@#$ if I could tell. I could follow the plot in Lone Wolf and Cub; I didn't have to flip to the f@#$ing back of the book to figure out where the f@#$ I was in the plot.
It's like a kid hyped up on Pixie Sticks. I just saw a few episodes of Toddlers & Tiaras yesterday because I was cleaning out closets and wanted some background noise but nothing I would care too much about (hence how the audiobooks got nixed). And I do imbibe in junk TV; sometimes I will shamefully deny it, but I like my junk TV, my Kitchen Nightmares, my Clean House, my Toddlers & Tiaras.
Seriously, they take a little girl and do THAT to her?!
Nocenti starts out with one thing...and then Killer Croc appears and eats a sword! Time to head to Japan and practice with the coil sword. Next page is Shun the Untouchable, a woman who's entire body is one tattoo of some obscure THING. Why?
Don't look behind that curtain moron! DON'T LOOK!
Jack Ryder is an asshole who always appears at the scene of the crime. Katana fights against her brother-in-law. OH NO!!! Nori's business is in shambles!
Come to think of it...it's been EONS since I last saw the "Wizard of Oz". I read "Wicked", didn't feel it, but have always wanted to see the musical. And THEN there's that NEW Oz movie I want to check out, but have been a bit intimidated about since half the people LURVE IT and the other half say it's MEH.
The art goes from being OK (nothing memorable) to OMG WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER FACE??!?! No wonder, as there is a carousel of people that parade through this PSP, popping in to scribble some drawings and then leaving. Seriously, there are FIFTEEN artists in the credits. FIFTEEN.
Consistency...out the window!
My office was recently redesigned so that I was forced to move from my nice window cube to one near the front door. Why do I always get stuck near the front door? That's where my first cube was, and there I am, back at the front door. At least it's near the water fountain and the bathroom.
And then...to make it "better"...the comic just ends. The last issue is slapshod non-ending with a cliffhanger that will never see a conclusion because after 10 issues, DC FINALLY WOKE THE F@#$ UP and canceled this POS PSP.
Awful characters.
Awful art.
Cliched plot (What plot you could find).
Inconsistent.
Inscrutable.
Recommended for: Torture. And Anne. Because this is so awful, it needs to be shared. :) You're welcome!
October 3, 2014
Good grief, this was awful. In every possible way. The plot is vague and never even remotely satisfying. Katana's goals change every issue, and her personality and voice are weirdly inconsistent. She can go from formal and morose to casual and flippant, from one word balloon to the next. Not that either mode is particularly well written. Aside from the plot being a total mess, the ideas are also pretty bad. The Creeper as Japanese demon (with a conveniently English name, whatever) just doesn't work, and that ribbon sword is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. Oh, and the whole thing ends on a cliffhanger, because it got put out of its misery canceled.
And the art is just so, so bad. Don't be fooled by the covers, because they're actually pretty good. But the art inside the book... God. Over the course of a few pages, Katana can go from pretty to "Dear God, what is that thing?" That probably has something to do with the fact that this book, over the course of ten issues, had (brace for it) a combined total of fifteen artists. One issue had three pencillers, and another had four different inkers. No, there was no apparent deliberate artistic choice to do so. I guess nobody wanted to work on this book for that long.
After ten issues, DC finally put this series out of its misery. Thank God. I have no idea why DC labeled this trade volume one, because surely they don't think anyone is going to want to tackle this character again anytime soon? Judging by this, that's probably a good thing.
And the art is just so, so bad. Don't be fooled by the covers, because they're actually pretty good. But the art inside the book... God. Over the course of a few pages, Katana can go from pretty to "Dear God, what is that thing?" That probably has something to do with the fact that this book, over the course of ten issues, had (brace for it) a combined total of fifteen artists. One issue had three pencillers, and another had four different inkers. No, there was no apparent deliberate artistic choice to do so. I guess nobody wanted to work on this book for that long.
After ten issues, DC finally put this series out of its misery. Thank God. I have no idea why DC labeled this trade volume one, because surely they don't think anyone is going to want to tackle this character again anytime soon? Judging by this, that's probably a good thing.
September 26, 2021
Let this be my testament, my journey into pain.
This collection is like no one had a clue from one page to the next what was going on - like when you get so high that your mind stops the illusion that thoughts have a continuity or flow to them, and they just show up for no particular reason and end even more suddenly. Many times while reading this I wondered if that side-story had any relationship with the pages or issue before, and if they would eventually lead somewhere. I’d say it was about 50:50, Nocenti clearly sending in 2nd drafts that didn’t have much of a story architecture behind them. A little like the low point of the run of Chew, where it was clear when they ran out of “ideas to carry the middle”. Slightly reminiscent of Scalped’s diversions into backstory for each character - except those were told WELL.
Starts with a bang, taking exactly one page before the Misogyny Parade begins, so there should have been no surprises where this book is thematically headed. Seemed jarring that the accompanying art in this book often took a “form-fitting, D-cup-jutting posturing” attitude to our heroine.
“You are the only one welcome in my bed”, as she grasps and caresses the sword in which she believes her dead husband’s soul resides. (Sometimes it’s just the existing character mythology that sinks it for a writer, but boy you don’t have to lean into it this hard, Anne.)
Did it feel to anyone else like Nocenti was showing off? “See how much I know about Japanese culture”, like some naive idiot who thinks that knowledge of facts makes her somehow interesting?
“The hem of my dress, stitched with razors - twirl and slice!” I bet Anne fussed over that like a half-dozen times, trying to wrong the poetry out of it. I’m sure they looked good in a typed script, but boy do they feel too twee on a coloured page.
Um, Ann, did you take a blow to the head during this gig? Is that why issue two whip-turned from deep Japanese cultural subtleties to “Steve Trevor needs help with Catwoman (already WTF-esque) so Katana immediately drops her long game to jump in a car”?
Here’s my main complaint: Nocenti’s writing is *too* sparse. Leaves just enough words on the page to tell you a conversation is happening, but not enough words to let you know what we’re talking about. Broken sword, amputated foot, Creeper demon? Why do these matter? Is there something tying these phrases together? Or is this just a stream of consciousness drug haze, listening to a stoner who’s too high and trails off before finishing a thought?
So many connective moments left out:
- one minute she’s sobbing at the thought her husband thinks she wasted her life sleeping with a sword, next minute she’s posing on rooftops
- She’s gone straight back to waiting tables, then she walks out on the job with no explanation
- Killer Croc swims off with a dragon to kill everything, then the city goes silent like he’s taking vacation in Aruba
Any of you old-timers remember watching scrambled channels on cable? You’d hear tidbits and see flashes of images, but never enough to get the story, so you’re constantly straining to figure out what’s going on.
This book is the scrambled porn channel of comics.
It’s discount Neal Adams’ Batman: Odyssey.
And what the actual fuck suddenly losing interest in Katana and following around the idiot spirit possessing Jack Ryder (whoever this asshat is)? Suddenly it feels like Nocenti’s audition for Vertigo-era Hellblazer, only back in the Delano era of sadness, not the fun where Johnny gets off shit-talking arch-demons.
This reads like a grade-school anime. “Ha-HA - now I kill you with your own sword ha-HA!” “But I have killed my husband dishonourably ha-HA!” “If she is vicious then I can kill her ha-HA!”
At first, picking up this book - with the rep it had in my Goodreads group - I felt like I would be giggling my way breezily through it all. Then it got just boring for trying so hard to throw so much random shit into the story. Late in the game, it became just painful, like make this haemorrhoid ass itch stop already.
And at the end, it pulls some “it was Agatha All Along” bullshit that is neither satisfying narratively nor does it feel anything except gaslighting the reader. And “be one with the sword” psychobabble, written like a person who’s never held a sword in her life (but only read the crazed anecdotes about swords that were scrawled into the margins of the journals from Se7en).
Brought to you by Shallow Buddy Reads...
This collection is like no one had a clue from one page to the next what was going on - like when you get so high that your mind stops the illusion that thoughts have a continuity or flow to them, and they just show up for no particular reason and end even more suddenly. Many times while reading this I wondered if that side-story had any relationship with the pages or issue before, and if they would eventually lead somewhere. I’d say it was about 50:50, Nocenti clearly sending in 2nd drafts that didn’t have much of a story architecture behind them. A little like the low point of the run of Chew, where it was clear when they ran out of “ideas to carry the middle”. Slightly reminiscent of Scalped’s diversions into backstory for each character - except those were told WELL.
Starts with a bang, taking exactly one page before the Misogyny Parade begins, so there should have been no surprises where this book is thematically headed. Seemed jarring that the accompanying art in this book often took a “form-fitting, D-cup-jutting posturing” attitude to our heroine.
“You are the only one welcome in my bed”, as she grasps and caresses the sword in which she believes her dead husband’s soul resides. (Sometimes it’s just the existing character mythology that sinks it for a writer, but boy you don’t have to lean into it this hard, Anne.)
Did it feel to anyone else like Nocenti was showing off? “See how much I know about Japanese culture”, like some naive idiot who thinks that knowledge of facts makes her somehow interesting?
“The hem of my dress, stitched with razors - twirl and slice!” I bet Anne fussed over that like a half-dozen times, trying to wrong the poetry out of it. I’m sure they looked good in a typed script, but boy do they feel too twee on a coloured page.
Um, Ann, did you take a blow to the head during this gig? Is that why issue two whip-turned from deep Japanese cultural subtleties to “Steve Trevor needs help with Catwoman (already WTF-esque) so Katana immediately drops her long game to jump in a car”?
Here’s my main complaint: Nocenti’s writing is *too* sparse. Leaves just enough words on the page to tell you a conversation is happening, but not enough words to let you know what we’re talking about. Broken sword, amputated foot, Creeper demon? Why do these matter? Is there something tying these phrases together? Or is this just a stream of consciousness drug haze, listening to a stoner who’s too high and trails off before finishing a thought?
So many connective moments left out:
- one minute she’s sobbing at the thought her husband thinks she wasted her life sleeping with a sword, next minute she’s posing on rooftops
- She’s gone straight back to waiting tables, then she walks out on the job with no explanation
- Killer Croc swims off with a dragon to kill everything, then the city goes silent like he’s taking vacation in Aruba
Any of you old-timers remember watching scrambled channels on cable? You’d hear tidbits and see flashes of images, but never enough to get the story, so you’re constantly straining to figure out what’s going on.
This book is the scrambled porn channel of comics.
It’s discount Neal Adams’ Batman: Odyssey.
And what the actual fuck suddenly losing interest in Katana and following around the idiot spirit possessing Jack Ryder (whoever this asshat is)? Suddenly it feels like Nocenti’s audition for Vertigo-era Hellblazer, only back in the Delano era of sadness, not the fun where Johnny gets off shit-talking arch-demons.
This reads like a grade-school anime. “Ha-HA - now I kill you with your own sword ha-HA!” “But I have killed my husband dishonourably ha-HA!” “If she is vicious then I can kill her ha-HA!”
At first, picking up this book - with the rep it had in my Goodreads group - I felt like I would be giggling my way breezily through it all. Then it got just boring for trying so hard to throw so much random shit into the story. Late in the game, it became just painful, like make this haemorrhoid ass itch stop already.
And at the end, it pulls some “it was Agatha All Along” bullshit that is neither satisfying narratively nor does it feel anything except gaslighting the reader. And “be one with the sword” psychobabble, written like a person who’s never held a sword in her life (but only read the crazed anecdotes about swords that were scrawled into the margins of the journals from Se7en).
Brought to you by Shallow Buddy Reads...
January 7, 2019
Generally good artwork with a few gaffs. Nearly unintelligible storyline with bizarre dialogue and odd scene shifts; very little to keep the reader involved in this title. If there was character growth, I really didn't understand it, and feel this reduces the stature of Katana among the superheroes of the DC Universe/Multiverse.
September 22, 2014
*SPOILERS AHEAD!*
Buying this, I was excited. Though I knew that it was canceled after 10 issues, Katana was a character I had previously enjoyed in both the Outsiders and the Beware the Batman series. The cover was great, which was what caught my attention initially, followed by happiness because my local bookstore carried it. Her new design is great! I got this as a birthday present for myself, by the way.
The story was wobbly at first, mostly the first issue because the introduction was slow and quite frankly, almost torturous to read. It improved in later issues, slowly gathering my interest. However, due to the cancellation, many things went unanswered at the end. Namely, Mona Shard, The Creeper, Killer Croc and the dragon. From what I've gathered, the stories weren't continued in any other series which caused many storylines to come to an abrupt stop without an ending that it truly deserved. The small tie-ins with Justice League Dark might come off confusing as well for those who don''t follow the other series.
However, many changes made to the DC Universe weren't too well accepted by myself. Firstly, the Outsiders becoming clans of Japanese Yakuza instead of a group of superheroes that don't fit the norm, misfits. That was quite odd but I guess you can't tell a Katana story without some Japanese Yakuzas! However, most of my confusion stemmed from the Creeper (Jack Ryder) being reincarnated as a Japanese Demon (an Oni) and back to possess a human and continue his reign of terror that he had once started in the days of old (this human being of course, Jack Ryder). Reporter by day, evil Japanese spirit by night, initially hard to swallow but I adapted.
The art was ok, I guess. The changing artists from time to time was odd at times because of the contradicting styles which sometimes changed the facial features of a character. Probably the best example of this was when Tatsu (Katana) dreams of being in a nail saloon. I was convinced she was a different person because she was drawn like an old Japanese woman who was obviously passed her prime!
However, saying all this, Katana: Soultaker is a decent INTRODUCTION to anyone who has not previously known about her. For fans of Katana, buy it as a momento, maybe, that Katana onced had a series.
Buying this, I was excited. Though I knew that it was canceled after 10 issues, Katana was a character I had previously enjoyed in both the Outsiders and the Beware the Batman series. The cover was great, which was what caught my attention initially, followed by happiness because my local bookstore carried it. Her new design is great! I got this as a birthday present for myself, by the way.
The story was wobbly at first, mostly the first issue because the introduction was slow and quite frankly, almost torturous to read. It improved in later issues, slowly gathering my interest. However, due to the cancellation, many things went unanswered at the end. Namely, Mona Shard, The Creeper, Killer Croc and the dragon. From what I've gathered, the stories weren't continued in any other series which caused many storylines to come to an abrupt stop without an ending that it truly deserved. The small tie-ins with Justice League Dark might come off confusing as well for those who don''t follow the other series.
However, many changes made to the DC Universe weren't too well accepted by myself. Firstly, the Outsiders becoming clans of Japanese Yakuza instead of a group of superheroes that don't fit the norm, misfits. That was quite odd but I guess you can't tell a Katana story without some Japanese Yakuzas! However, most of my confusion stemmed from the Creeper (Jack Ryder) being reincarnated as a Japanese Demon (an Oni) and back to possess a human and continue his reign of terror that he had once started in the days of old (this human being of course, Jack Ryder). Reporter by day, evil Japanese spirit by night, initially hard to swallow but I adapted.
The art was ok, I guess. The changing artists from time to time was odd at times because of the contradicting styles which sometimes changed the facial features of a character. Probably the best example of this was when Tatsu (Katana) dreams of being in a nail saloon. I was convinced she was a different person because she was drawn like an old Japanese woman who was obviously passed her prime!
However, saying all this, Katana: Soultaker is a decent INTRODUCTION to anyone who has not previously known about her. For fans of Katana, buy it as a momento, maybe, that Katana onced had a series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2014
I really wanted to like this book. I think the character is interesting, and I was really looking forward to seeing her in her own title after Birds of Prey.
But the artwork is awful and inconsistent - at times the characters don't even look human. Katana, out of makeup, changes appearance from chapter to chapter, and it's no wonder as there are fifteen artists listed at the front.
It's like they didn't even want this series to succeed, and now it's dead after only ten issues.
But the artwork is awful and inconsistent - at times the characters don't even look human. Katana, out of makeup, changes appearance from chapter to chapter, and it's no wonder as there are fifteen artists listed at the front.
It's like they didn't even want this series to succeed, and now it's dead after only ten issues.
November 14, 2014
Wow. The art...The writing...It's all so...BAD. I...I can't even...sigh.
I had high hopes for the character. I enjoyed her in Birds of Prey, but this...This isn't that character.
sigh
I had high hopes for the character. I enjoyed her in Birds of Prey, but this...This isn't that character.
sigh
January 9, 2024
really disappointed this wasn't good because there aren't many adaptations for katana in the first place yet the premise is really interesting
August 4, 2016
I'm trying to make my way through every single series that was part of DC's New 52 universe. This series takes place in the 4th wave of books that they rolled out. I probably wouldn't have gotten around to tis series yet, but since the Suicide Squad movie comes out in a couple of days, Comixology.com and the DC app are having a sale on Suicide Squad titles and products that contain individual members of the team. This is one of the things on sale right now. So, I got it at a good price.
I've read several things from writer Ann Nocenti before, and I'm not a fan of hers at all. Her run on New 52 Green Arrow is one of the worst comics I've read in a while. This book is actually pretty good for her, but good for Ann Nocenti is equal to poor to average for many other writers. The title character, Katana, is one that intrigues me. She had a part in the Birds of Prey series in Wave 1 of the New 52 and transitions over to being part of the Justice league of America by wave 4. I've not read far enough in Birds of Prey and have never picked up JLA to how that change occurs. I was kind of excited for this series until I saw Nocenti's name on it.
In order to do research for this project, I think Nocenti sat down and watched a bunch of old, cheap Kung-Fu and Samurai movies. I love those types of movies for their fight scenes, but their plots are generally lacking or are so over-the-top that they just become ludicrous. This story seems to be a combination of those two. Some parts are really out there, which actually fits since this is a superhero comic, and other parts are just rip-offs of poorly plotted and paced, mindless action movies. As if having a main character that wields a sword that traps the souls of all of its victims going up against the Yakuza in San Fransisco weren't enough, Nocenti decided to throw Killer Croc and The Creeper into the mix. The latter being one of the souls that was housed in the previously mentioned sword. Nocenti also adds in Jack Ryder, who is one of the lesser known DC characters that makes a ton of cameos all over the places. Oh, there is also a girl who is covered from head to foot in tattoos that are supposed to predict the future. In the end, all of the characters and the ludicrous situations they are placed in make for a story that seems as if it were rushed out by a production that makes a direct-to-video movie a month. As I mentioned before, this is better than the drivel Nocenti usually produces, but doesn't even come close to the quality of many other DC titles. The writing gets 2.5 stars.
The art for this one is all over the place. Alex Sanchez does most of the covers and works on the most issues in the series. His art is the best by far, but even his art has its inconsistent moments. He is the lone artist on 3 issues and collaborates with artist Cliff Richards on 4 more. Richards works on 2 issues alone, has the 4 with Sanchez , and another issue with CrissCross. I have seen Richards fill in on several of the series in the New 52. That is pretty much all he is good for. The guy must work quickly because he seems to get called on a lot. Of course, when you churn out one garbage page of art after another, it is pretty evident that you aren't taking your time to make each piece look as good as possible. His art is the worst in the series and consistently so. Taking all of the art in the book into account, I want to give the art a score of 3, but that seems a little too generous. I'll knock it down to 2.5 stars and call it a day.
Neither the writing nor the art in this series is any good. This ends up being a 2.5 star overall book after combining the 2 scores. That seems to right on the mark set by all of the voters here on Goodreads. It is pretty easy to see why this series only lasted 10 issues. It was set up for failure from the beginning by putting Ann Nocenti on writing duty. Stay away from this one unless you're like me and just have to read everything in the New 52. That is the only thing that will make this even remotely worth your time.
I've read several things from writer Ann Nocenti before, and I'm not a fan of hers at all. Her run on New 52 Green Arrow is one of the worst comics I've read in a while. This book is actually pretty good for her, but good for Ann Nocenti is equal to poor to average for many other writers. The title character, Katana, is one that intrigues me. She had a part in the Birds of Prey series in Wave 1 of the New 52 and transitions over to being part of the Justice league of America by wave 4. I've not read far enough in Birds of Prey and have never picked up JLA to how that change occurs. I was kind of excited for this series until I saw Nocenti's name on it.
In order to do research for this project, I think Nocenti sat down and watched a bunch of old, cheap Kung-Fu and Samurai movies. I love those types of movies for their fight scenes, but their plots are generally lacking or are so over-the-top that they just become ludicrous. This story seems to be a combination of those two. Some parts are really out there, which actually fits since this is a superhero comic, and other parts are just rip-offs of poorly plotted and paced, mindless action movies. As if having a main character that wields a sword that traps the souls of all of its victims going up against the Yakuza in San Fransisco weren't enough, Nocenti decided to throw Killer Croc and The Creeper into the mix. The latter being one of the souls that was housed in the previously mentioned sword. Nocenti also adds in Jack Ryder, who is one of the lesser known DC characters that makes a ton of cameos all over the places. Oh, there is also a girl who is covered from head to foot in tattoos that are supposed to predict the future. In the end, all of the characters and the ludicrous situations they are placed in make for a story that seems as if it were rushed out by a production that makes a direct-to-video movie a month. As I mentioned before, this is better than the drivel Nocenti usually produces, but doesn't even come close to the quality of many other DC titles. The writing gets 2.5 stars.
The art for this one is all over the place. Alex Sanchez does most of the covers and works on the most issues in the series. His art is the best by far, but even his art has its inconsistent moments. He is the lone artist on 3 issues and collaborates with artist Cliff Richards on 4 more. Richards works on 2 issues alone, has the 4 with Sanchez , and another issue with CrissCross. I have seen Richards fill in on several of the series in the New 52. That is pretty much all he is good for. The guy must work quickly because he seems to get called on a lot. Of course, when you churn out one garbage page of art after another, it is pretty evident that you aren't taking your time to make each piece look as good as possible. His art is the worst in the series and consistently so. Taking all of the art in the book into account, I want to give the art a score of 3, but that seems a little too generous. I'll knock it down to 2.5 stars and call it a day.
Neither the writing nor the art in this series is any good. This ends up being a 2.5 star overall book after combining the 2 scores. That seems to right on the mark set by all of the voters here on Goodreads. It is pretty easy to see why this series only lasted 10 issues. It was set up for failure from the beginning by putting Ann Nocenti on writing duty. Stay away from this one unless you're like me and just have to read everything in the New 52. That is the only thing that will make this even remotely worth your time.
May 28, 2015
Let's get the positives out of the way first; there are some very striking frames within the story, standing on their own. It's too bad the story around them is borderline incoherent, and told with horrible dialogue (pretentious, borderline misogynist, and trying too hard and failing), and horrible characterizations. It seems that the Katana featured here is an insecure lost woman who has a grudge against the world, and not the master swordswoman from previous incarnations. She manages to destroy everything that made her a unique character in the collection, and though some gets rebuilt, it still feels like a lot is lost.
And then there's the Creeper; he is 'created' in this collection; I've been a fan of the character's previous incarnations, but this version (including the 'villain' issue) is just purely horrible. What was a chaotic anti-hero is turned into a vicious capricious killer who then 'wakes up' to be the first to report on it?
There are occasional moments of adequacy in the collection, but for the most part it is 11 issues of painfully bad characterization, confusing art, illogical plots, and mind-numbing drudgery that it took me far too long to push through. And for no palpable results. Spare yourself.
And then there's the Creeper; he is 'created' in this collection; I've been a fan of the character's previous incarnations, but this version (including the 'villain' issue) is just purely horrible. What was a chaotic anti-hero is turned into a vicious capricious killer who then 'wakes up' to be the first to report on it?
There are occasional moments of adequacy in the collection, but for the most part it is 11 issues of painfully bad characterization, confusing art, illogical plots, and mind-numbing drudgery that it took me far too long to push through. And for no palpable results. Spare yourself.
April 30, 2014
Honestly, I am so pissed off at DC for cancelling this after only 10 issues.
I found Katana to be one of the most well-written and fleshed out characters in the New 52 universe. It's just a matter of the art that made me shudder. It's obvious DC didn't have any faith in this from the beginning, letting various artists jump on board. So, not only was the art annoyingly inconsistent, but there were several pages that were just badly drawn. When I read a comic from one of the Big 2, I expect a certain level of artistic quality. That editorial let that stuff slide is very telling as to how they feel about this comic.
The story is thrilling, and not only do we have Tatsu as Katana, but we also have Shun, a woman tattooed from head to toe in apparent prophecies who ends up exacting vengeance on her abusers. Both are women of colour, and both are badass. There was so much potential, and it was just thrown away.
I found Katana to be one of the most well-written and fleshed out characters in the New 52 universe. It's just a matter of the art that made me shudder. It's obvious DC didn't have any faith in this from the beginning, letting various artists jump on board. So, not only was the art annoyingly inconsistent, but there were several pages that were just badly drawn. When I read a comic from one of the Big 2, I expect a certain level of artistic quality. That editorial let that stuff slide is very telling as to how they feel about this comic.
The story is thrilling, and not only do we have Tatsu as Katana, but we also have Shun, a woman tattooed from head to toe in apparent prophecies who ends up exacting vengeance on her abusers. Both are women of colour, and both are badass. There was so much potential, and it was just thrown away.
April 10, 2016
I was supremely disappointed by Katana volume 1. I had hoped that DC will create a character to rival their greats like Catwoman and Wonder Woman but instead they delivered a Japanese woman with a mixed up history trying to avenge a man.
what's bad about this one, is the storyline. The artwork and colouring are incredible but Ann Nocenti's writing is juvenile and lacking flow. There are too many characters and they are very hard to distinguish between. I also felt like I didn't get enough background as to why Tatsu has found herself in this position, what was her husband involved in? But he was killed in the first place.
you also seem to get a different super villain in every issue, in one you have killer croc in another you have the creeper and occasionally they cross over can you get a bunch of different ones in one issue.
I really disappointing read that was just all over the place.
what's bad about this one, is the storyline. The artwork and colouring are incredible but Ann Nocenti's writing is juvenile and lacking flow. There are too many characters and they are very hard to distinguish between. I also felt like I didn't get enough background as to why Tatsu has found herself in this position, what was her husband involved in? But he was killed in the first place.
you also seem to get a different super villain in every issue, in one you have killer croc in another you have the creeper and occasionally they cross over can you get a bunch of different ones in one issue.
I really disappointing read that was just all over the place.
August 4, 2015
I wanted to like this a lot more than I actually did, but I found the story to be overly disjointed and almost completely lacking in decent exposition or setup.
I suspect that I may have liked it more if I hadn't lived in Japan.
I suspect that I may have liked it more if I hadn't lived in Japan.
April 20, 2015
I really wanted to like this... can I also rate 0 stars? :-/
January 21, 2016
Jesus Christ! No more Nocenti.
April 19, 2016
Break it apart, throw all the pages in the air, read them in whatever order you pick them up. It will probably make more sense and be more entertaining. How it lasted even 10 issues is amazing.
March 11, 2019
I've been using the New 52 series to jump into some of the more established comic series like Wonder Woman and Batwoman. I really enjoyed both of those.
Katana was crap. I can deal with some comic book cheesiness (her name is Katana, her villains include Sickle, Coil, and Creeper) and I'm used to putting up with some less than feminist artwork in comics (her go-to move is to high kick and flash her crotch at the bad guys), but this is just bad.
The artwork is bad. I can't identify characters by sight alone, they have to be identified in dialog. The dialog is stupid. A female villain insults the female hero by calling her a woman. (*feminist forehead slap*) There's barely a plot and it doesn't make sense.
And Katana is quite literally stupid. In all her fights she brags machismo style and then immediately makes some sort of horrible mistake (according to her own inner dialog) and loses the fight. Seriously. I can't think of any fight she won. She either lost or is rescued by men. Who manipulate her and call her stupid. Every other character at one point or another tells the main character she's stupid. Then they tease her about sleeping with her sword.
Such crap.
Katana was crap. I can deal with some comic book cheesiness (her name is Katana, her villains include Sickle, Coil, and Creeper) and I'm used to putting up with some less than feminist artwork in comics (her go-to move is to high kick and flash her crotch at the bad guys), but this is just bad.
The artwork is bad. I can't identify characters by sight alone, they have to be identified in dialog. The dialog is stupid. A female villain insults the female hero by calling her a woman. (*feminist forehead slap*) There's barely a plot and it doesn't make sense.
And Katana is quite literally stupid. In all her fights she brags machismo style and then immediately makes some sort of horrible mistake (according to her own inner dialog) and loses the fight. Seriously. I can't think of any fight she won. She either lost or is rescued by men. Who manipulate her and call her stupid. Every other character at one point or another tells the main character she's stupid. Then they tease her about sleeping with her sword.
Such crap.
December 11, 2023
Ann Nocenti je ispravno iskoristila slobodu koju autor dobije kada dobije priliku da u suštini radi sa third-stringer DC likom u okvirima solo runa. Kada se tome doda izvanredan crtež koji je ispratio ovu seriju od deset epizoda, dobijamo jedno nepretenciozno i vrlo prijatno iznenađenje koje dopire iz rezervnog sastava DC univerzuma.
Katana je vrlo zanimljiv lik zapravo. Ima bogat origin story, ima mač kroz koji zapravo nikada ne može da pobegne od origin storyja a s druge strane opet - ona je ninja i nalazi se u raznim akcijama, kao članica grupa ali i bez njih.
Ovde se konkretno bavi pričom koja je prevashodno važna za njen kanon, i Ann Nocenti se najslabije snalazi kada u par epizoda iskorači u širi DC univerzum i uvede neke DC vedeta kao što je Killer Croc koji se ne uklapa baš idealno u Katanin imaginarij, iako su u istoj ekipi.
Ali kada se držimo Malog Tokija i intriga među mačevalačkim klanovima, kada se bavimo Kataninim odnosom prema mužu i deveru i raznim neprijateljima koji je se lično tičo, ovo je jako zanimljiv crossover superherojskog, mačevalačkog pa i yakuza stripa a da pritom nikada ne odlazi u neku jeftinu i prvoloptašku manga stilizaciju.
Čak naprotiv, strip je crtan kao prvoklasan DCjev prioritet sa zanimljivo dizajniranim junacima i kreativno postavljenim kompozicijama. Sve u svemu svakako ću da vidim dalje ima li nekih Katana-centric stripova koje nisam već čitao kao i da ispratim malo više rad Ann Nocenti.
Katana je vrlo zanimljiv lik zapravo. Ima bogat origin story, ima mač kroz koji zapravo nikada ne može da pobegne od origin storyja a s druge strane opet - ona je ninja i nalazi se u raznim akcijama, kao članica grupa ali i bez njih.
Ovde se konkretno bavi pričom koja je prevashodno važna za njen kanon, i Ann Nocenti se najslabije snalazi kada u par epizoda iskorači u širi DC univerzum i uvede neke DC vedeta kao što je Killer Croc koji se ne uklapa baš idealno u Katanin imaginarij, iako su u istoj ekipi.
Ali kada se držimo Malog Tokija i intriga među mačevalačkim klanovima, kada se bavimo Kataninim odnosom prema mužu i deveru i raznim neprijateljima koji je se lično tičo, ovo je jako zanimljiv crossover superherojskog, mačevalačkog pa i yakuza stripa a da pritom nikada ne odlazi u neku jeftinu i prvoloptašku manga stilizaciju.
Čak naprotiv, strip je crtan kao prvoklasan DCjev prioritet sa zanimljivo dizajniranim junacima i kreativno postavljenim kompozicijama. Sve u svemu svakako ću da vidim dalje ima li nekih Katana-centric stripova koje nisam već čitao kao i da ispratim malo više rad Ann Nocenti.
December 19, 2016
I like Katana as a character. I liked her in the Outsiders working with Batman. I liked her in Justice League of America. I liked her in the Birds of Prey. (I've not ready any of the Suicide Squad books, but I would probably like her in them as well.)
You owuld think that I would like her in her own book, and by like I mean love. But I just like her.
If you want a look at Katana's backstory, this is the book for you. But it has little impact on the New 52 and is almost entirely it's own thing.
You owuld think that I would like her in her own book, and by like I mean love. But I just like her.
If you want a look at Katana's backstory, this is the book for you. But it has little impact on the New 52 and is almost entirely it's own thing.
December 2, 2016
I couldn't finish this book. Minor spoilers below.
As a relative newbie to Katana (I'm only aware of her from the Arrow TV show and the Suicide Squad movie) I was confused about why she had to move to San Francisco to take a look at the tattoos on a girl that supposedly told the future. A fair amount of people know about this girl, so if she's so valuable, why isn't she guarded better?
Also, the art just wasn't for me - the lines on people's faces (presumably to show texture?) made everyone look old.
I gave up on page 80.
As a relative newbie to Katana (I'm only aware of her from the Arrow TV show and the Suicide Squad movie) I was confused about why she had to move to San Francisco to take a look at the tattoos on a girl that supposedly told the future. A fair amount of people know about this girl, so if she's so valuable, why isn't she guarded better?
Also, the art just wasn't for me - the lines on people's faces (presumably to show texture?) made everyone look old.
I gave up on page 80.
May 4, 2017
I couldn't finish this. I had high hopes and I was drawn by some of the artwork. The plot is boring, vague, cheesy, and stilted. The way the characters talk is unnatural.
Katana's physical appearance is not consistent throughout. It leaves a disconnect between Tatsu/Katana. I understand that one's alter ego will act and dress differently, but it's not even remotely similar. Katana might as well be a different person all together.
Let down with this one.
Katana's physical appearance is not consistent throughout. It leaves a disconnect between Tatsu/Katana. I understand that one's alter ego will act and dress differently, but it's not even remotely similar. Katana might as well be a different person all together.
Let down with this one.
October 18, 2017
10 zeszytów wystarczyło, żeby wydawnictwo zakończyło mękę czytania tego potworka. Badziewna fabuła spisywana na kolanie, wrzuca bijatykę za bijatyką bo coś musi się dziać pomiędzy głupimi dialogami i nieciekawymi narracjami. Koszmarna kreska jest chaotycznie niejednolita głównie dlatego, że nie było artysty, który chciałby doprowadzić tę robotę do końca. Ann Nocenti ciężko pracuje aby zasłużyć na miano żeńskiego Liefelda. Mam wrażenie, że ona nienawidzi komiksu w ogóle.
November 9, 2014
I wish they had not decided to cancel the series as I really enjoyed it. I liked seeing Katana get her feet underneath her and start to understand what was really happening in her life. Enjoyed the artwork as well.
September 16, 2014
Not quite there but Katana will find its groove evenyually. Sorry Ann.
October 11, 2014
There is some story here that should and could be really good.
But in the end, it has too much going on at once with no resolution.
But in the end, it has too much going on at once with no resolution.
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October 15, 2014
I just didn't care - about the characters, the storyline, anything. Sad, I thought Katana was cool in Birds of Prey.
February 8, 2015
The plot seemed very repetitive, though the art was beautiful. Was really hoping for a good female super hero, it's a shame Katana doesn't fill that role.
March 27, 2015
Dull, plodding, uninteresting. Did not finish.
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