Podniebny Orzeł

by Jirō Taniguchi, Radosław Bolałek (Translator)

U progu Ery Meiji dwóch samurajów – Manzō Shiotsu i Hikosaburō Sōma wyrusza do Stanów Zjednoczonych, by tam zacząć wszystko od nowa. Osiadają na dłużej w stanie Wyoming, gdzie mieszkają wiodąc proste życie aż do dnia, gdy ratują z rąk białych indiańską dziewczynę. Od tej pory ich los splata się z losem plemienia Oglalów należącego do konfederacji Dakota (Siuksowie). Waleczność i odwaga, które cechują dwóch przybyszów, sprawiają, że zdobywają oni uznanie wśród Indian oraz przyjaźń wodza – Szalonego Konia. Stają się częścią plemienia, przyjmując imiona: Podniebny Orzeł i Wietrzny Wilk.

Genres: Manga, Comics, Historical, Graphic Novels, Westerns, Japan, Historical Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Name (in native language): 谷口 ジロー
Zodiac: Leo

He began to work as assistant of the late mangaka Kyota Ishikawa.
He made his manga debut in 1970 with Kareta Heya (A Desiccated Summer), published in the magazine Young Comic.
From 1976 to 1979, he created several hard-boiled comics with the scenarist Natsuo Sekigawa, such as City Without Defense, The Wind of the West is White and Lindo 3.
From 1984 to 1991, Tanigushi and Natsuo Sekigawa produced the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai.
In the 1990s, he came up with several albums, among which Aruku Hito (歩くひと), Chichi no koyomi (The Almanac of My Father), and Keyaki no ki.
In 2001, he created the Icare (Icaro) series on texts by Mœbius.
Jirô Taniguchi gained several prizes for his work. Among others, the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award (1998) for the trilogy Bocchan No Jidai, the Shogakukan prize with Inu wo Kau, and in 2003, the Alph'Art of the best scenario at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France) for Harukana Machi-E.
His work has been translated in many languages.

Far from the violent storylines often associated with the manga, Taniguchi has developed a very personal style, more adult. Along with other writers, like Tsukasa Hōjō, his comics focus more on the Japanese society and culture, with a subtle analysis of its customs and habits.

Reviews

[Seth T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat an homage to the bande dessinées westerns he grew up on (Blueberry, Cartland, Comanche, etc), Taniguchi created a story of Japanese involvement in the conflict between General Custer and the Souix that is as gorgeously drawn as you would expect.

Fleeing to American after the Boshin War, Aizu samurai Hikosaburo and Manzo work in a mine until everything falls apart and they are on their own. Driftless, they ingratiate themselves to a Crazy Horse's Souix tribe and become fast friends through shared values. Hiko is an expert archer with the long bow and Manzo excels at jiujistu; they train Souix warriors as they can but rise in esteem eventually becoming Souix heroes, Sky Hawk and Winds Wolf.

In the end, as fantastical as the idea of these two samurai Lone-Wolf-And-Cubbing their way through Custer's forces is, it's pretty epic. And while Taniguchi's story means two Japanese share victory over Custer in the Black Hills engagements, he does not lessen the strength and leadership of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull (who only appears in cameo). Further, Hiko and Manzo fully dwell within their part within the Souix citizenry - as with many naturalized citizens, they find themselves eager to be the best representatives of their adoptive nation.

The book ends with a letter from Taniguchi, penned in 2009, wondering what American audiences would think of his mucking around with their history and culture. He considered that he might like to do more. Finally seeing light 2 years after his death at age 70, it is with sadness that I report that I loved this book and would eagerly look forward to more of his vision for the West had time allowed for it.

[Laura (ローラ) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book, and this story. It is a wonderful homage to both bandes dessinées "westerns" and also western films that were popular in the 1960s. Westerns are one of my favourite film genres (bet you didn't know that). I think Taniguchi is really successful at capturing the feel of these types of films. Even in the introduction Moebius says we don't need Hollywood when we have books like this... I completely agree.

But the type of western that Taniguchi is trying to portray is all but extinct in Hollywood. This isn't just because the western world would rather watch action films set in different worlds and futures, but also that the attitudes of those films is antiquated and overtly racist. Unfortunately, that undesirable element is also captured in Taniguchi's book.

I'm not blaming Tanguchi for this inclusion. How was he to know? He didn't live on this side of the world. But, I do somewhat blame the publisher (or even a tiny bit the translator). It's their job to eke out the correct language to use. And because it has been included, even reviewers here are repeating this language, as though it's the most okay-est thing in the world. It's not.

I wouldn't even have cared as much if this was originally written back 20 years, but this was written in the 21st century, and translated in 2019. The dialogue about antiquated language has been ongoing in the West for at least this long.

I think the translation could use a bit of finesse. What could have been done?

1. Leave the dialogue as is. As unpretty as the language is, it's trying to capture the attitudes of the white settlers and invaders in the West in the 1870s. It's ugly. But history is ugly.
2. Change all of the narrative and descriptive text to reflect more sensitive and appropriate modern language. If this text is supposed to be told from a so-called omniscient narrative perspective, that means they know about the history, but they can tell it in the context of appropriate language usage.

My second objection to this comic is that it ends with this sense that this history that has no baring on the present. That Indigenous Peoples were scourged from this earth. And though, while brutal, it's all in the past. This is a dangerous sentiment people. Please inform yourself on these issues by reading up on Indigenous history (as told by Indigenous peoples). And if reading prose isn't your favourite, there are several comics histories written by Indigenous artists that are worth your time.

But, is this comic worth reading? Yes. Of course. I loved the humanity of the people. I loved the landscapes, Taniguchi was truly a master at drawing setting. I loved the storytelling.

And my favourite was the way Taniguchi drew parallels toward his Japanese and Indigenous characters. That there was something more than personality that drew them together. I've read a few comics by Indigenous creators which have reached the same conclusions. I've always wondered if a Japanese artist would do the same. Here's my answer.

[Guifré Amat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Molt original,un altre de l'oest americà.Aquest va de dos japonesos que s'uneixen als natius americans en el combat per las black Hills em va agradat molt ja que es posa en la pell dels natius i explica bé el que van pasar.

[Psicologorroico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taniguchi immagina due samurai tra i nativi americani, creando un connubio interessante tra le due culture. I disegni come sempre sono bellissimi, tuttavia la storia non mi ha appassionato, probabilmente perché le troppe battaglie mi annoiano. Letto perché facente parte della collana, altrimenti probabilmente non l'avrei mai considerato!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dances with Wolves for a Japanese audience. Forced from Japan in 1868, two samurai make their way to the west coast of the United States and work their way inland as they take up prospecting. Saving a Native American woman who has run away from slavery at a white trading post brings the duo into contact with Crazy Horse and the Oglala Sioux. Recognized as fellow warriors with honor, they're quickly accepted into the tribe, teaching martial arts and archery and taking part in the battles and events leading up to the Battle of Little Big Horn.

It's a pretty decent adventure story that tries to be informative about the events and respectful of the people, but oversteps as the liberties taken by the creator start to pile up. The Japanese men practically take a leadership role in the tribe, and the rivalry between Custer and the title character eclipses that of Crazy Horse or Sitting Bull. Still, Taniguchi's heart is in the right place and the art is excellent.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Experiencing the events of the 1870s in the American West through the eyes of a couple of Japanese immigrants to America gave me a perspective on the situation of the plains Native Americans like I've never had before. Not just to see how awful the situation was for the tribes that lived there but the impossibility that the White men would ever understand why the land was (and is) so important to them. I think because I had some distance from the protagonists (not being Japanese myself, not being "other" to this land like they were) I was able to be on the front lines of the story but still have some distance from it. Yes, there was a little bit of silliness around the Sioux being in awe of the Japanese men's jiu jitsu skills but nothing egregious in that vein. And for a book that came out almost 20 years ago it is INCREDIBLY insightful and ahead of its time, despite it just being an outlet for Taniguchi to write a western like he always wanted to.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tengo que reconocer que leer cualquier cómic de este autor es un acierto, me puede gustar mucho o un poco menos, aunque siempre se saca cosas muy positivas, a pesar de que en esta ocasión se ha salido de lo habitual, porque es tipo western. Tengo que decir que retrata muy bien el honor y según lo que estudie en la carrera se ha documentado bien para retratar lo que cuenta a pesar de las licencias que se pudo tomar, creo que es una buena forma para acercarse a esa época. De verdad, siempre es un placer disfrutar de sus páginas.

[Jérémie Moenne Loccoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un dessin toujours aussi fin et habile, des personnages forts, attachants et crédibles pris dans la tourmente de faits historiques dramatiques, Jirô Taniguchi réussi un joli western où s'invitent deux samouraïs. Cela peut sembler improbable mais c'est un fait historique avéré que des membres du clan Aizu, après la défait de Boshin, ont émigrés au Etats-Unis. Taniguchi nous livre sa version de ce qu'aurait pu être leur destinée au-delà du Pacifique et on se laisse agréablement prendre dans ce récit où les philosophies samouraï (bushido, bujustu) entre en résonnance avec celles des Native American.

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taniguchi odnajduje sie w westernie tak jak w każdym innym gatunku, z którego czerpał. Jak zwykle nienagannie i może nawet zbyt perfekcyjnie prowadzona historia oraz czarowanie szczegółowością i dokładnością rysunków w kadrach. Jeśli jest w sztuce komiksu coś stałego, co powoduje, że od razu czuję się bezpieczny i zaopiekowany przez twórcę w 100%, jest to właśnie twórczość Jiro - nawet gdy w samej fabule trup ściele się gęsto, a stawką jest ratowanie pierwotnych wartości wypieranych przez bezduszną cywilizację. Trochę strefa komfortu twórcy i odbiorcy, ale jakże przyjemna

[Saphirablue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it.

It's the history of the US in regards to what they did to the Native Americans with some Japanese characters (and hints to Japanese history) thrown in. I like the telling and the characters and how it's been managed to combine everything.

I love, love, love the art.

[Todd Glaeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taniguchi does it again. I’m not a big fan of Westerns, but this drew me in immediately. Much the same as The Summit of the Gods Volume 1, I thoroughly enjoyed a setting and a genre that I didn't imagine I would enjoy.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine der besten Western geschickten die ich je glesen habe

[Jan Pospíšil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between "ok" and "liked it."
The premise is interesting and the art is very pretty. However, the book is fairly short and the characters are quite flat. Nothing much happens actually. The reader probably knows it's heading towards Little Big Horn and it sure does. It gets there and...the book just ends.

It might be its length, but this manga is significantly more shallow than other historical ones I've read (like Historia or Vinland Saga). Characters don't really evolve, white men are always evil, native americans are almost exclusively saintly and enlightened, the two main characters are always unbeatable machines.

I was a bit disappointed.

[The Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two samurai in search of a new life in America find a new home among the Oglala Sioux tribe led by Crazy Horse. What follows is the heartbreaking story of how white Americans cheated, robbed, and murdered the Native American tribes in the name of manifest destiny aka, because they could.

I'm not sure if the two main characters are based on real events, but the rest of it is. And it's a nice change from the usual western stories where the Native Americans are portrayed as ruthless savages and the white settlers as brave and innocent pioneers. It tells the truth and it does it with beautiful art and a smooth flow that makes it easy to read.

[Lionel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comme toujours, Tanigushi m'a fasciné. D'abord par son dessin. Et par son histoire ensuite. J'ai longtemps cru que l'histoire était entièrement vraie. L'histoire est un magnifique récit, ça ne ressemble pas une fiction.

[Kalle Vilenius · Rating 4 out of 5]

“From time to time I no longer understand just what it is I’m fighting against. I can no longer see clearly the shape of the enemy we’re meant to constantly be striking at. Maybe because it’s just too massive? I can’t help but feel like we’re just going to be swept up in a maelstrom of black clouds.”

Many of the stories Jiro Taniguchi tells are calm, even meandering, their protagonists mere wanderers who the reader accompanies on leisurely strolls. Not so with Sky Hawk, the tale of two Japanese men, Hikosaburo and Manzo, who join the Sioux in their battle against the white man’s land grabbing, treaty-breaking ways, after failing to find their fortune in the American West. A chance meeting with a pregnant woman, Running Deer, decides their destiny and brings them together with the Oglala Sioux, lead by Crazy Horse, who welcomes them with open arms.

One might complain that the two Japanese men are just one step removed from the trope of the white saviour, as they come among the “savages” and excel in their way of life easily, being already comfortable both on horseback and with the bow, and on top of that also having a martial arts background that makes them superior fighters to both their adoptive Sioux and the antagonistic Crows. Still, Hikosaburo (who becomes Sky Hawk) and Manzo (who becomes Winds Wolf) do not offer much salvation, rather they are two men who were already defeated in their homeland and have come eastward to the west to join another doomed cause. It’s a just, righteous cause, but justice cannot bring about true, permanent victory against a force as superior as that behind General Custer’s bluecoats are. Custer himself is another matter, of course, and this we know from history already.

It is not an overly happy story. What moments of joy and beauty there are, among found family and new friends, amid the beauty of the great American landscapes, are constantly threatened by death and loss, by the despoiling of that landscape by the spread of industry, by railroads and mine shafts, by the mass-slaughters of wildlife and settlers who care nothing for any treaties made with the Natives. A dark chapter in human history. That’s not to say there are no attempts made at peaceful resolution, but all negotiations come to an impasse: the miners being on Sioux land are there to stay and cannot be evicted save by lethal force, and the land cannot be purchased from the Sioux because they consider it sacred on top of relying on it for their nomadic lifestyle, there’s no compromise possible.

Though this is a dark time to live, the manga is not drawn to look bleak. Dakota is a land of big skies, and the airy, spacious landscape remains unshadowed by the dark clouds Sky Hawk fears will devour the Sioux. The beautiful blue dominates that the front and back covers of the book represents the final freedom that could never be taken away, the sky across which the hawk flies and where the Great Spirit dwells, looking down on the violence and tragedy that occurs on the ground.

Though the love of the land is what drives the Sioux and the greed for what that land hides beneath it is what drives the settlers, Taniguchi has not made Sky Hawk into a book that relishes the North American landscapes in the same way his travelogue of Venice did that city. There is a contrast that becomes downright distracting, when an artist as good as Taniguchi opts to use traced photographs for his backgrounds while displaying over them the impeccable human figures he produces. I wish there had been some indulgent double-spreads on par with the cover art, and that the backgrounds had been given the same treatment as the humans were. These figures are impressive in motion, the low crouch, the agile, cat-like tension as the former samurai charge their opponents, a katana in one hand and a revolver in the other, bridging the gap between east and west, between chunbara and westerns. For someone whose stories are primarily calm and passive, Taniguchi’s depiction of action is dynamic, smooth and brutal in its consequences.

Last and perhaps least it should be mentioned that Sky Hawk features a glowing introduction by Moebius, reminding us of the place Taniguchi enjoys as a man with a foot in both the Japanese and European comic book worlds, and the recommendation of Moebius should be enough to make you want to read this book.

[Monika Kilijańska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manzō i Hikosaburō, emigranci z Japonii, napotykają w pobliżu swojej amerykańskiej chatki na rodzącą Indiankę. Ratują młodą kobietę, która mocno osłabła po porodzie, i jej nowo narodzone dziecko. W ten sposób nawet o tym nie wiedząc nie tylko łączą swój los z Indianami, ale i wpadają w tarapaty związane z białymi osadnikami. To wydarzenie okazuje się kamieniem milowym w ich życiu. Ich los zostaje nierozerwalnie połączony z jednym z indiańskich plemion, w którym to odnajdują swoje miejsce na ten przeklętej, pełnej przemocy ziemi. Spokój i szczęście nie trwa jednak zbyt długo. Sytuacja muszą ich do ponownego stania się pełnokrwistymi wojownikami, którzy walczą na śmierć i życie w obronie tego, co jest dla nich cenne. Przyjmą wszystko co indiańskie, także imiona: Podniebny Orzeł i Wietrzny Wilk (tak nazywa się także druga manga Jiro Taniguchiego).

Okazuje się, że plemiona indiańskie walczą o terytoria coraz częściej zasiedlane górnikami poszukującymi złota, a amerykańskie wojsko stara się zlikwidować problem indiański w krwawy sposób. Początkowo „tylko” wybijają stada bizonów, które dostarczały Indianom mięsa i skór, ale kolej i gorączka złota pożerają kolejne tereny należące do plemion indiańskich. Kiedy biali osiedlają się na świętej górze w Górach Czarnych, nie ma już odwrotu: oznacza to wojnę. Wojnę, w której będą brali także udział Podniebny Orzeł i Wietrzny Wilk.

Nowi pobratymcy plemienia Oglala są ciekawym nabytkiem: nie dość, że popierają walkę o dobro Indian, to jeszcze mają bardzo rygorystyczny kodeks honorowy oraz znają skuteczne sztuki walki. Manzō włada jujitsu, sztuką walki, a Hiko, w odróżnieniu od Indian, używa długiego łuku i to nawet podczas jazdy konno, z którego bezbłędnie trafia w cel ledwie w zasięgu wzroku.

Więcej na https://www.monime.pl/podniebny-orzel/

[Sarah AK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never in a million years did I EVER expect to read a Japanese manga about the Black Hills. I am currently in the Black Hills, just outside a town named after this book's villain, and a stone's throw from a monument to another character. I know this area and its history well, and I was honestly surprised at how much the author got right (you know, aside from inserting Japanese characters and adding some Dances With Wolves style drama). I've read Lakota histories and it seems he did too. But the one thing I don't think he did is research what it really looks like here. It is beautiful, but it isn't really anything like he drew, which appears to be based more on the dramatic mountains of western Wyoming. I won't fault him too much for that, his vision is more in line with what people expect of westerns, but I couldn't help but laugh a bit. He did all that historical research, couldn't he look at some pictures too? Anyway, the history here is really awful and tragic, and while this book tells some of that story, it really just scratches the surface of the atrocities the US government committed in this region. Some areas here have been renamed in recent years, given back indigenous names instead of those of white men, and I hope one day this town will too (but I won't hold my breath)...

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspired by bande dessinées Westerns, Jiro Taniguchi crafts a fictional history of two exiled samurai taking their blades to the wild west. Initially content with living as migrant workers, Hikosaburo and Manzo eventually find themselves on the wrong side of the American army. Taking refuge with the Sioux, Hiko and Manzo find themselves working alongside them to produce resistance against General Custer's advances. Training the Sioux in arts of Japanese warfare and jiu-jitso, the pair become the infamous Sky Hawk and Winds Wolf, warriors who turn the tide against the American forces.

The book is set up as having several vignette style stories which ultimately lead up to a culminating conflict between the Sioux and Custer's forces. While taken as a whole this book was pretty epic but there were significant stretches that I found the story to drag quite a bit. Taniguchi's artwork is gorgeous throughout, from the sweeping landscapes to the detailed clashes between soldiers, every page was eye candy. While the premise is pretty unique, there is a little too much of a similarity to stories like Dances With Wolves to really consider this a novel concept, but I still enjoyed this overall.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the author's work. I am also excited to have my teen age boys learn about our dismal treatment of First Nation peoples in US history. Unfortunately, many characters here don't have very much depth. Maybe it's a lot to ask for in a graphic novel. I am also tired of 19th stories wherein all White Men are villainously evil, every... single ....one. This was, after all, a very religious time where the population read a great deal, wrote a great deal and considered spiritual matters and the state of their soul carefully. Of course, not everyone did, but a significant enough to have one or two such souls appear in a story of this expanse.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taniguchi's art is on point as ever. The story is definitely unique with some of the famous mid-19th century shameful injustices against the native American populations in the mid-west through the eyes of two samurai transplants from Japan who get involved in some battles. Ending with taking down Custer, you can't get fooled to think that this is a happy ending. Sad.

[Giulio Siciliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiré de faits historiques, le récit avance surtout au rythme de scènes d'action et de combats qui ont ponctué le génocide américain. Un Western qui procure une lecture divertissante et agréable, j'aurais néanmoins préféré un traitement plus sobre, des pages plus lentes et contemplatives, le style par lequel j'ai découvert Taniguchi.

[Aurélia · Rating 2 out of 5]

L'histoire est intéressante, et son réalisme prenant. Le trait est incroyable, très maîtrisé, les grands espaces sont extrêmement bien décrits. Par contre, j'ai trouvé que les personnages étaient un peu ... "plats".

[Lucrezia Baldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and unlikely manga to read. It was nice to discover the history of American Indians and to find out that some Japanese did actually go to the US at the time to join the gold rush.

[Aniña · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taniguchi ten sensibilidade ata para un western. Marabilloso sempre.

[Velo · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a cool read from a really unique perspective!!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le sujet est original pour le format. L'histoire est intéressante, j'ai beaucoup aimé.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-intentioned Japanese author blunders into sensitive American history. Artwork is forgettable, characters are shallow.

[DoctorFeddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“io sono Sky Hawk”

La storia parte con un uomo d’origini giapponesi trovare una donna che ha appena partorito e quindi senza forze siccome ha partorito da sola, quindi l’uomo, la porta nella sua casa e le fa recuperare le forze qui scopriamo che in realtà la donna è una schiava fuggita da un accampamento per salvare la sua bambina da morte certa, i loro padroni si presentano alla porta dei due orientali e chiedono se vedano una ragazza indiana incinta, la cercano non solo perché fuggita ma anche perché prima di fuggire a preso un sacchetto di pepite d’oro, il giapponese gli restituisce le pepite ma la ragazza non gliela daranno, quindi c’è un parapiglia generale e i due giapponesi in poco tempo hanno la meglio sui padroni della ragazza, con delle mosse di Judo, siccome i due giapponesi sono dei samurai in fuga dalla guerra che attanaglia il Giappone, i due Giapponesi vengono aiutati dai pelle rossa e da quel punto ci sara un cambio di fronte dei due giapponesi che vedono come nuova casa e patria le terre selvaggia dell’America e gli indiani, diventando loro stessi indiani, con nomi che ricordano animali e la natura, e loro in cambio insegnano le mosse tipiche orientali ai nativi d’america che rimangono sorpresi dai lineamenti ancora più sconosciuti dei visi pallidi che vengono a invadere le loro terre. Quello che posso dire di questa Graphic novel è cinematografico, le scene d’azione sono fatte in modo magistrale, i due protagonisti sono molto semplici, non ci si sofferma sul loro passato da samurai ma sul loro presente da indiani non però dimenticando le loro origini poiché nelle battaglie che seguiranno nella storia, usano tattiche imparate in anni di esperienza come samurai usando ancora la loro inseparabile katana e il loro modo di pensare non è tipico francese, inglese, spagnolo o di qualsiasi altro colonizzatore. Non so quanto è vero o è un espediente narrativo, ma la graphic novel Sky Hawk usa l’espediente del giapponese che emigra in America, un espediente che troviamo in altre opere d’altri autori, come Isamu ( Sam il ragazzo del west) o in Guns Frontier ( di Leiji Matsumoto).
Per il disegno non c’è niente da dire perché rischio d’essere ripetitivo ma in questa storia c’è un’evoluzione nel tratto, o almeno è quello che ho percepito mentre leggevo. Nell’introduzione prima di addentrarci nella storia si parla di cosa ha voluto fondere Taniguchi prendendo ispirazione da film famosi che parlano di quest’argomento, esempio “ balla con i lupi”, “avatar” o “l’ultimo samurai”, Gli argomenti che ho trovato nella storia che combaciano con i film sono: la famiglia trovata nel posto del tutto improbabile per il protagonista, applicare le conoscenze passate con quelle appena apprese, aderire ad un credo e farlo suo come se fosse stato deciso dalla nascita.
Per concludere devo dire che questa graphic novel è molto più dinamica rispetto a quelle lette in precedenza dello stesso autore, c’è anche qui da riflettere, però le scene di battaglia sono fenomenali e ti incollano alla lettura, la tavola che preferisco è la scena che vuole essere una presa per i fondelli alla scena dell’ultimo samurai dove la legione deve far cadere le difese degli indiani e cosi usano il Gatling( mitragliatore che si usava a quel tempo) ma viene prontamente abbattuto da sky hawk come se niente fosse uccidendo l’utilizzatore con una freccia.
Do un 8 alla storia e 10 ai disegni.

[Clodjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taniguchi démontre une fois de plus sa polyvalence par le fait qu'il est à l'aise avec une grande diversité de genres. Il poursuit son rapprochement avec la BD franco-belge en s'attaquant cette fois au western, un genre typiquement occidental.

Sky Hawk semble bien loin de l'humanisme et des déambulations introspectives du Journal de mon père ou Quartier Lointain. On y retrouve pourtant une des thématiques chères à Taniguchi: les vastes étendues de nature sauvage. En effet, Sky Hawk allie avec dextérité l'action et le naturalisme de Blanco à la violence et au récit historique de Kaze no Sho. Sur une toile de fond historique rigoureusement recherchée, Taniguchi superpose l'histoire de deux ronins exilés dans l'ouest américain.

Sky Hawk est une bonne occasion pour Taniguchi de dessiner ces grands espaces naturels et sauvages qu'il aime tant, mais aussi de tracer un parallèle entre les cultures nippone et amérindienne qui, toutes deux basées sur des croyances animistes, vouent un grand respect à la nature.

Le style de Taniguchi s'est grandement amélioré depuis Blanco (1985) et Kaze no Sho (1992). La preuve en est ses superbes illustrations de début de chapitres. Il a maintenant une excellente maitrise du récit d'action, tout en conservant son style clair et précis. Sky Hawk est du pur Taniguchi à son meilleur. Malgré que ce soit un récit d'action, il nous entraine dans une marche à travers l'Ouest sauvage américain et suscite une sorte d'introspection sur la destruction du magnifique, mais fragile, équilibre de la nature (à laquelle l'homme appartient) et qui se fait souvent pour des raisons bassement égoïstes et politiques. A lire absolument.