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Average rating5
Blood, death, and duty—the title bequeathed to the heir of the royal executioner becomes a burden too heavy to bear. In this omnibus edition collecting volumes 1-3 of the original manga series, Shin’ichi Sakamoto masterfully fictionalizes the true life of Charles-Henri Sanson, the "Gentleman of Paris," who performed nearly three thousand executions in 18th century France. Born into a family of executioners, Charles-Henri Sanson must take up his father’s mantle as the Royal Executioner of Paris. Conflicted between his desire to honor the family name and rebelling against the longstanding practice, he chooses to follow tradition, but vows to be the last executioner—the last Sanson to spill blood in the name of justice. Available in English for the first time and presented in a special omnibus edition collecting volumes 1-3 of the original Japanese manga series!
Reviews with the most likes.
Beautifully brutal. The imagery here is some of the most evocative comic storytelling I've ever seen. Sakamoto uses visual metaphor brilliantly. He's able to juxtapose graphic violence with symbolic imagery in a manner that doesn't overwhelm the reader with gore, but is no less horrifying in its implications.
Definitely not for everybody! But this is an interesting, challenging book for anyone who can stomach its contents. Phenomenal artwork too.