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Legends of the Pierced Veil
Legend of the Scarlet Blades
Raido, a young amnesic Ronin–a masterless Samurai–roams about in a quest for his memories. His first stop is the city that talks to the sky, the ultimate stronghold against the ice invading the land of the rising sun. There, he meets Meiki, a graceful puppeteer and storyteller of charms.
"Legend of the Scarlet Blades," as painted by the tormented and airy style of Saverio Tenuta, is a series whose universe is inspired by feudal Japanese history and traditions, full of breathtaking settings and populated by a myriad of wondrous mythical beings.
"Legend of the Scarlet Blades," as painted by the tormented and airy style of Saverio Tenuta, is a series whose universe is inspired by feudal Japanese history and traditions, full of breathtaking settings and populated by a myriad of wondrous mythical beings.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published October 4, 2016
13 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Saverio Tenuta
28 books11 followersDopo aver conseguito il diploma all'accademia di Belle Arti di Roma in pittura, iniziò a lavorare come grafico pubblicitario e incisore. Esordì come autore di fumetti nel 1992, collaborando con diversi editori, fra i quali Cierre per Arthur King, Casa Editrice Universo per Intrepido, RCS, Phoenix e altri. Con Phoenix pubblicò Cold Graze - risvegli di ghiaccio e Gli Incubi tecnologici di Saverio Tenuta. Lavorò anche negli Stati Uniti con Dolls per la Sirius, su testi di Lorenzo Bartoli, pubblicato successivamente anche in Italia, tratto dal libro Bambole edito da Fanucci. Collaborò poi anche con la Event Comics. Dal 2003 lavorò sia per il mercato italiano (ad esempio con uno speciale di Morrigan) che USA, per la DC Comics e con la rivista Heavy Metal. Nel 2006 iniziò la collaborazione con l'editore francese Les Homanoïdes Associés, per il quale pubblicò La Légende des Nuées Écarlates, in quattro volumi, e che verrà poi tradotta in italiano (La leggenda delle nubi scarlatte), in tedesco, in spagnolo e in inglese. Nel 2007 una sua storia venne pubblicata sulla rivista giapponese Mandala, edita da Kōdansha. Nel 1995 iniziò a insegnare fumetto e tecniche di disegno in scuole di settore e nel 2010 costituì il Daishō Studio, un atelier dove seguì i suoi allievi e sviluppò nuovi progetti di fumetto e illustrazione.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 27, 2017
The setting is not on Earth. The planet of the story has long seasons (like Helliconia universe,or A Song of Ice and Fire universe). The story happened at the winter season. The art, setting and background stories are gorgeous, although the climax was plain drama for my taste. If not for the art, I rate this series as 2 star.
For my personal taste, I like the protagonist's physical disabilities. He only had one arm and one eye. One-armed ronin wields twin scarlet blades! That's super cool!
For my personal taste, I like the protagonist's physical disabilities. He only had one arm and one eye. One-armed ronin wields twin scarlet blades! That's super cool!
August 31, 2022
"The Legend of the Scarlet Blades" was something that struck my eye at the local comic store. The cover art was quite good. I realized that the entire comic was illustrated in the same style.
Saverio Tenuta both writes and illustrates this GN. It is a magical tale in a Japanese Shogunate time frame. It is the story of Raido, a Ronin. Raido had no memories and as he wanders, trying to figure out who he is and why he has only one arm. His path will cross with the Bunraku (puppeteer) Meiki and he will find his destiny wrapped with hers.
Magical figures, dark family secrets and a very cool setting make for one entertaining comic. Throw in the top level artwork and this will please any fan of Japanese style comics and artwork, as well as the setting. It will appeal to fans not only of Japanese culture but those who appreciate a good dark fantasy story.
Glad I picked this one up and a welcome addition to my library.
Saverio Tenuta both writes and illustrates this GN. It is a magical tale in a Japanese Shogunate time frame. It is the story of Raido, a Ronin. Raido had no memories and as he wanders, trying to figure out who he is and why he has only one arm. His path will cross with the Bunraku (puppeteer) Meiki and he will find his destiny wrapped with hers.
Magical figures, dark family secrets and a very cool setting make for one entertaining comic. Throw in the top level artwork and this will please any fan of Japanese style comics and artwork, as well as the setting. It will appeal to fans not only of Japanese culture but those who appreciate a good dark fantasy story.
Glad I picked this one up and a welcome addition to my library.
March 1, 2020
It's hard for me to talk about the works that I love. This one is a masterpiece. The figures have an amazing volume, they seem to draw from the japanese puppet theatre tradition of Bunraku (that also plays an important role in the story). The faces, costumes, landscape, animals, colors, gestures are so beautiful and original that I don't know how to describe them. This happens in a world where fantastical creatures and samurais coexist in the period ruled by the Shōgun. There are tyrants and rebels, we find evil and love stories, courage and vulnerability emerge. The oposition between the lead character (that becomes disabled and maimed) to his antagonist (that chooses beauty but loses her humanity) is brilliantly presented. They way that the Izuna can be perceived both as evil and dangerous and as part of a Nature in which humans are included is also something unique. Definitely worth reading, slowly, along with everything else that Tenuta created for the Izuna world.
May 15, 2018
The story unfolds in a strange and mythical land in Japan. The narrative is good but it deserves some research and a second reading in my opinion. The art is strange and beautiful. The author is not so preoccupied with drawing with the proper proportions but drawing motion and making good compositions... at times it looks almost as if Tenuta had learned how to draw on his own, without an academic education... I say this in a good way. He has a different approach to comics and it is very refreshing...
March 25, 2020
"The legend of the scarlet THUNDERCUNTS: how a serie of douchebags being douchebags led to way more deaths than it was necessary in an eastern fantasy setting."
Kidding aside, it's been a pretty good read. It really felt that a lot of the whole events of this book could had completely prevented by merely having one or two people around being barely decent human beings, but what you know.
It's a story set in eastern folklore, with many fights, wolves, magic, demonic pacts, and intrigue, as the main protagonist put together the pieces of his own lost backstory.
A must-read if you like samurais, ronins, and eastern folklore.
Kidding aside, it's been a pretty good read. It really felt that a lot of the whole events of this book could had completely prevented by merely having one or two people around being barely decent human beings, but what you know.
It's a story set in eastern folklore, with many fights, wolves, magic, demonic pacts, and intrigue, as the main protagonist put together the pieces of his own lost backstory.
A must-read if you like samurais, ronins, and eastern folklore.
May 11, 2021
Saverio Tenuta is worth keeping an eye on.
The book is full of captivating, colorful, complex compositions. There are many exciting action sequences that are easy to digest and paced well; and beautifully laid out pages using dreamscape puppetry or a painter's canvas to do some chorus-like narration.
The story is a fantasy epic. There's the hero's mystery/quest, duels, revenge, horror, drama, war, rebellion, tyranny, beasts, and all sorts of references to the human/nature relationship.
It is a well done story and the art is magnificent.
But there's a lot of text and something about the story didn't grab my attention very well and I slogged through it.
Judging both the story and the art, it's not my favorite of Tenuta's work; although maybe it is his best story, objectively.
Through this story, Izuna, and Mask of Fudo, Tenuta develops his talents and puts each on the table for us to eat up.
The book is full of captivating, colorful, complex compositions. There are many exciting action sequences that are easy to digest and paced well; and beautifully laid out pages using dreamscape puppetry or a painter's canvas to do some chorus-like narration.
The story is a fantasy epic. There's the hero's mystery/quest, duels, revenge, horror, drama, war, rebellion, tyranny, beasts, and all sorts of references to the human/nature relationship.
It is a well done story and the art is magnificent.
But there's a lot of text and something about the story didn't grab my attention very well and I slogged through it.
Judging both the story and the art, it's not my favorite of Tenuta's work; although maybe it is his best story, objectively.
Through this story, Izuna, and Mask of Fudo, Tenuta develops his talents and puts each on the table for us to eat up.
December 28, 2020
I love japanese fusion samurai stories. This had great art but kinda confusing story to begin with. Bloody fantasy samurai fight scenes. Humanoid published books always have a cool style to them.
March 30, 2025
Brutally visual. Reminds me of Zatoichi.
May 10, 2018
I liked the prequels to this series much better. The disabled hero is great, and the artwork is wonderful. There is something about the story that doesn't grab me.
December 5, 2023
An interesting Japanese inspired legendary tale. Some weird mystical happenings and an unusual world. The spinning house thing in the pit of the volcano was never explained, though I would have liked to know what that was about. The artwork was fantastic, except human faces. The artist struggled with that, apparently.
May 4, 2023
Bonita historia ambientada en el Japón antiguo, con todos los alicientes de este tipo de historias. Samurais, dioses de la naturaleza, traiciones y venganzas, guerra, algo de fantasía y sobre todo mucha emotividad en las relaciones personales.
A nivel artístico es una belleza, dejándonos algunas páginas embobado durante minutos. Esto también favorecido por el gran formato típico Europeo.
El guión, sin ser especialmente original, cumple, y mantiene el interés hasta el final, ubique en algunos momentos se torna predecible.
En resumen un cómic muy recomendable si te interesa este periodo histórico, y esta temática, y desde luego si quieres tener acceso a los espectaculares “lienzos” que nos deja.
A nivel artístico es una belleza, dejándonos algunas páginas embobado durante minutos. Esto también favorecido por el gran formato típico Europeo.
El guión, sin ser especialmente original, cumple, y mantiene el interés hasta el final, ubique en algunos momentos se torna predecible.
En resumen un cómic muy recomendable si te interesa este periodo histórico, y esta temática, y desde luego si quieres tener acceso a los espectaculares “lienzos” que nos deja.
April 19, 2020
The art is very good. I was mesmerized by it in numerous occasions. The story is too mystical and convoluted for my taste. Definitely readable, but saved by the art.
This is a story of a warrior saving a girl and oppressed masses and en route atones for his past. A very cliched plot, that has been handled way better in other stories. The story gets heavy with mystical mumbo-jumbos and even gets difficult to follow at places.
The only redeeming characteristic of this book is the awe inspiring art. The landscape is so beautiful that you can just stare at it for long time. The action seems fluid and dynamic and the characters show real emotion on their faces. Great work.
This is a story of a warrior saving a girl and oppressed masses and en route atones for his past. A very cliched plot, that has been handled way better in other stories. The story gets heavy with mystical mumbo-jumbos and even gets difficult to follow at places.
The only redeeming characteristic of this book is the awe inspiring art. The landscape is so beautiful that you can just stare at it for long time. The action seems fluid and dynamic and the characters show real emotion on their faces. Great work.
June 27, 2023
POPKulturowy Kociołek:
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/legen...
Album skupia się na postaci Raido. Jednorękiego, cierpiącego na amnezję ronina, który przemierza kraj w poszukiwaniu swojej przeszłości. Nie boi się on przy tym sięgać często po swój miecz, kąpiąc jego ostrze w strumieniu krwi przeciwników. Jego prawdziwa przygoda rozpoczyna się jednak dopiero wtedy, kiedy dociera on do miasta, które rozmawia z niebem. To właśnie tam spotyka on niezwykle tajemniczą Meiku, która jakoś połączona jest z jego losem i przeszłością. Chce on za wszelką cenę zrozumieć tę mocną więź i odzyskać pamięć. Oznaczać to będzie konieczność stawienia czoła naprawdę potężnym siłom zła.
Opowieść w swych ogólnych założeniach jest więc dość prosta, co w żaden sposób nie umniejsza jej niesamowitości. Autor w wyśmienitym stylu łączy tu kulturę japońską z wyrazistą dawką orientalnej fantastyki, dodając do tego naprawdę ciekawych bohaterów. Fani orientu przewracając kolejne strony albumu, wyłapią tu sporo smaczków w postaci mniej lub bardziej oczywistych nawiązań twórcy do tamtejszej popkultury. Doskonałym przykładem mogą być, chociażby krwiożercze wilki nasuwające skojarzenia z księżniczką Mononoke.
Większość elementów scenariusza dobrze się ze sobą łączy, dzięki czemu całość czyta się przyjemnie i szybko (chociaż pojawiają się pewne drobne niedociągnięcia). Treść miesza ze sobą dramat i widowiskowość, dość mocno angażując odbiorcę. Twórca od samego początku wyraźnie wie, do jakiego zakończenia dąży, pozostawiając jednak pewną dozę tajemniczości i niedopowiedzeń....
https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/legen...
Album skupia się na postaci Raido. Jednorękiego, cierpiącego na amnezję ronina, który przemierza kraj w poszukiwaniu swojej przeszłości. Nie boi się on przy tym sięgać często po swój miecz, kąpiąc jego ostrze w strumieniu krwi przeciwników. Jego prawdziwa przygoda rozpoczyna się jednak dopiero wtedy, kiedy dociera on do miasta, które rozmawia z niebem. To właśnie tam spotyka on niezwykle tajemniczą Meiku, która jakoś połączona jest z jego losem i przeszłością. Chce on za wszelką cenę zrozumieć tę mocną więź i odzyskać pamięć. Oznaczać to będzie konieczność stawienia czoła naprawdę potężnym siłom zła.
Opowieść w swych ogólnych założeniach jest więc dość prosta, co w żaden sposób nie umniejsza jej niesamowitości. Autor w wyśmienitym stylu łączy tu kulturę japońską z wyrazistą dawką orientalnej fantastyki, dodając do tego naprawdę ciekawych bohaterów. Fani orientu przewracając kolejne strony albumu, wyłapią tu sporo smaczków w postaci mniej lub bardziej oczywistych nawiązań twórcy do tamtejszej popkultury. Doskonałym przykładem mogą być, chociażby krwiożercze wilki nasuwające skojarzenia z księżniczką Mononoke.
Większość elementów scenariusza dobrze się ze sobą łączy, dzięki czemu całość czyta się przyjemnie i szybko (chociaż pojawiają się pewne drobne niedociągnięcia). Treść miesza ze sobą dramat i widowiskowość, dość mocno angażując odbiorcę. Twórca od samego początku wyraźnie wie, do jakiego zakończenia dąży, pozostawiając jednak pewną dozę tajemniczości i niedopowiedzeń....
May 14, 2024
Moja kolejna wizyta w starożytnej Japonii wyobrażonej oczami Saverio Tenuty. „Legenda o Szkarłatnych Obłokach” to główna seria cyklu oscylującego w świecie zbudowanym na japońskiej tradycji, mitologii i tropach popkulturowych. Lost in Time wydało album zbiorczy zawierający wszystkie 4 tomy cyklu.
Scenariusz znów jest dość prosty - zagubiony ronin Raido, bez ręki, oka i wspomnień, krąży po świecie bez celu, dopóki nie spotyka młodej lalkarki Meiki, która w tajemniczy sposób daje mu ukojenie. Raido czuje, że łączy ich więź, wraca więc do wspomnień próbując dokopać się do własnej przeszłości. Dziewczyna również czuje, że losy jej i Raido są połączone, tym bardziej, że zaczyna ich prześladować wspólna wrogini, bezwzględna szogunai Ryin Fujiwara, która rządzi miastem i korzysta z ciemnych mocy do utrzymania swojej władzy. Raido i Meiki muszą stawić czoło potężnej władczyni, jej żołnierzom, przywoływanym demonom i własnej przeszłości, żeby w mieście i w ich życiu zapanował spokój.
Cieszę się, że przeczytałam wcześniej „Maskę Fudo”, bo jej znajomoś�� porządkowała mi fabułę „Obłoków”, chociaż akurat w tej serii fabuła jest dużo bardziej uporządkowana niż w prequelu. Pomimo braku zwrotów akcji i przewidywalności historia opowiedziana w komiksie wciąga, a sprawiają to niesamowite rysunki Tenuty. Jego sztuka jest zachwycająca, człowiek czuje się jak na planie filmowym, wpada w ten świat i nie chce go opuszczać. Czyste piękno i niezła rozrywka.
Scenariusz znów jest dość prosty - zagubiony ronin Raido, bez ręki, oka i wspomnień, krąży po świecie bez celu, dopóki nie spotyka młodej lalkarki Meiki, która w tajemniczy sposób daje mu ukojenie. Raido czuje, że łączy ich więź, wraca więc do wspomnień próbując dokopać się do własnej przeszłości. Dziewczyna również czuje, że losy jej i Raido są połączone, tym bardziej, że zaczyna ich prześladować wspólna wrogini, bezwzględna szogunai Ryin Fujiwara, która rządzi miastem i korzysta z ciemnych mocy do utrzymania swojej władzy. Raido i Meiki muszą stawić czoło potężnej władczyni, jej żołnierzom, przywoływanym demonom i własnej przeszłości, żeby w mieście i w ich życiu zapanował spokój.
Cieszę się, że przeczytałam wcześniej „Maskę Fudo”, bo jej znajomoś�� porządkowała mi fabułę „Obłoków”, chociaż akurat w tej serii fabuła jest dużo bardziej uporządkowana niż w prequelu. Pomimo braku zwrotów akcji i przewidywalności historia opowiedziana w komiksie wciąga, a sprawiają to niesamowite rysunki Tenuty. Jego sztuka jest zachwycająca, człowiek czuje się jak na planie filmowym, wpada w ten świat i nie chce go opuszczać. Czyste piękno i niezła rozrywka.
January 29, 2019
Dans un Japon pris dans un hiver qui semble éternel, la Légende des nuées écarlates. Mais même si l'histoire se déroule au pays du Soleil-Levant, le coup de crayon n'a rien à voir avec le style Manga. Au contraire le dessin est très beau et soigné, particulièrement élégant. On peut considérer que le héro manque de chair (haha) car sa psychologie est finalement assez peu fouillée mais l'absence d'un œil, d'un bras, son histoire lié aux Izunas et le maniement de double lames le rendent très badass. Mes réserves portent davantage sur l'histoire inutilement confuse et à la montée en puissance étrange (Spoiler : le vilain meurt à mi-chemin pour... re-mourir ensuite). Le plus gênant étant ces nombreuses cases où s'accumulent des dialogues prétentieux et faussement philosophiques "Pensées et parole offusquent l'esprit [...] Traits illusoires avant le geste, quête du vide, quête du sens". L'utilisation d'un champ lexical soutenu ne me dérange pas au contraire mais lorsqu'il est utilisé pour appuyer des phrases sans queue ni tête, il apparaît d'autant plus ridicule. Le texte de la 4è de couverture est bien à l'image de ce que vous y trouverez. Un voyage agréable à la rétine mais qui ne me laissera pas de souvenir transcendant
July 5, 2022
Mixed fillings on this one...
Story is quite simple with an obvious ending.
The addition of bunraku scenes is nice and makes a good start and end point.
The love story part is...ughh...let's just say that the whole script would be better without it.
But shogunai family history is interesting.
I really liked the mix of Japan and the author's own visual ideas - tattoos, weapons, and the wolves.
Art is...uneven:
- scenery - 5/5
- wolves - 5/5
- fight scenes and bunraku 4/5
- male characters - 3/5
- female characters - WTF - odd expressions, strangely squished faces, odd perspective
I would love poster size art of most wolves/landscapes that are in The Legend, but female characters - it's like someone else drew them.
And the contrast between scenery - beautiful, full of details and filled with a great atmosphere and odd female characters is painful.
Art on the cover (integral) is messy and there is no way I would pick it up based on this cover.
Story is quite simple with an obvious ending.
The addition of bunraku scenes is nice and makes a good start and end point.
The love story part is...ughh...let's just say that the whole script would be better without it.
But shogunai family history is interesting.
I really liked the mix of Japan and the author's own visual ideas - tattoos, weapons, and the wolves.
Art is...uneven:
- scenery - 5/5
- wolves - 5/5
- fight scenes and bunraku 4/5
- male characters - 3/5
- female characters - WTF - odd expressions, strangely squished faces, odd perspective
I would love poster size art of most wolves/landscapes that are in The Legend, but female characters - it's like someone else drew them.
And the contrast between scenery - beautiful, full of details and filled with a great atmosphere and odd female characters is painful.
Art on the cover (integral) is messy and there is no way I would pick it up based on this cover.
September 30, 2023
Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars
An impressively epic, if perhaps gratuitously gory, graphic novel set in the a fantastical time of Samurai, enormous wolves and forest Kami. While it took a bit of time to get into, the meticulously woven tale eventually sets its heart-racing rhythm and is impossible to put down. While I didn’t massively buy into the romantic sub plot, the main narrative was compelling and exciting, unfolding further and further into a fulfilling climax. The illustrations are stunning, if weighted in equal importance to the protagonist’s internal monologuing. Well worth the read and I love the idea of being able to jump back into this universe at another point.
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars
An impressively epic, if perhaps gratuitously gory, graphic novel set in the a fantastical time of Samurai, enormous wolves and forest Kami. While it took a bit of time to get into, the meticulously woven tale eventually sets its heart-racing rhythm and is impossible to put down. While I didn’t massively buy into the romantic sub plot, the main narrative was compelling and exciting, unfolding further and further into a fulfilling climax. The illustrations are stunning, if weighted in equal importance to the protagonist’s internal monologuing. Well worth the read and I love the idea of being able to jump back into this universe at another point.
June 10, 2023
The artwork drew me in, unfortunately the story isn't quite up to scratch. This is about a ronin with amnesia (yawn) who tries to figure out what happened to him. There's all manner of high fantasy concepts going on, from strange monsters to magical entities and more. Honestly there was a little too much going on to really take much from the story. I like Tenuta's incorporation of Japanese mythology into his own intruiging artstyle, and this is by every possible count a beautiful looking comic. If you're into something a little mindless but easy to look at, you may consider taking a chance with Legend of the Scarlet Blades.
November 5, 2023
The artwork could benefit from a larger page. I suspect the US printing, as usual, involved shrinking the original European format. There are some recurring themes I notice in graphic novels dealing with Japanese legends - for instance; the one armed Ronin and the magical puppeteer whose stories turn out to have more truth in them than we expected. I'm curious if anyone from Japan might have some insight. This is well told, beautifully drawn. I'm a sucker for Japanese samurai stories inspired by kami with medieval Edo period overtones. This one certainly has a lot of blood in it. I have IZUNA on my bookshelf too. Sorry to hear the author passed away at 54.
July 30, 2024
A story in the same setting as Legends of the Pierced Veil: Izuna. Beautiful artwork, but the story and storytelling ruin it for me.
I recently read a comic with a collection of stories. Each author had 8 to 10 pages to introduce the characters, to do the worldbuilding and tell a story.
This comic and the previous one Legends of the Pierced Veil: Izuna each contain almost 200 pages, and I still wouldn't be able to answer the who, what, why, where, ... questions.
I recently read a comic with a collection of stories. Each author had 8 to 10 pages to introduce the characters, to do the worldbuilding and tell a story.
This comic and the previous one Legends of the Pierced Veil: Izuna each contain almost 200 pages, and I still wouldn't be able to answer the who, what, why, where, ... questions.
May 31, 2020
Great story. Great art. Medieval Japan. Enchanted blades. Wolves. Blood. Samurai. I could go on and on but where some books make a mess with the ingredients this is excellent. Boy, favoured by the Gods, taken, brainwashed to turn against them, slowly regains his memories. As the book itself says love is often shown as hate and vice versa. It makes for a cracking tale of betrayal and redemption.
June 14, 2017
Absolutely gorgeous art and a fantastic story
November 28, 2018
Stunning. Made me cry. (Dammit). But yeah, quite beautiful. (And a good story too)
August 29, 2019
Absolutamente brutal! Posiblemente el mejor cómic que haya leído nunca! Me ha encantado tanto el dibujo como la historia! Tremendo! 👍👍😊😊
September 24, 2020
Entretenido y con imágenes bastante hermosas.
August 12, 2021
Pretty weird, but quite good.
November 22, 2021
The art in this book (mine was the complete story) is absolutely beautiful. I however thought the story was a bit confusing and spoiled the book.
February 8, 2023
Not a bad adventure, didn't grab me but finished and was satisfied with ending
July 5, 2023
Gorgeous art but just ok story
December 9, 2025
Stunning style, colour and composition, but the story felt very confusing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews