365 Samurai and a Few Bowls of Rice #[nn]

J. P. Kalonji's *365 Samurai and a Few Bowls of Rice* arrives from Dark Horse with a cover that crackles with kinetic energy — a masked, flame-wreathed warrior plunges from above, dagger in hand, descending on a scrambling cluster of topknot-wearing ruffians amid splintering walls and a flickering candle. Kalonji's cartooning style is loose and expressive, blending feudal Japanese atmosphere with a wonderfully anarchic sense of motion that makes the whole scene feel like it's about to fly off the page. At $16.99, this 2009 volume looks like a genuinely fun ride through a world where one relentless fighter meets trouble — and trouble rarely comes alone.