“Reptiles and samurai
Are under my skin
They hide in my mind
They speak with my tongue
They run amuck in my terrain”
- Oingo Boingo, “Reptiles and Samurai”
The title of Portland-based Chibi Comics’ Samurai and Dinosaurs conjures up the similarly anachronistically-titled Cowboys & Aliens. Unlike its older brother, however, Samurai and Dinosaurs was conceived with a story as well as a title.
Written by Michael Murphy and illustrated by Sergio Calvet, the black and white book paints a picture of feudal Japan rocked by a huge meteor that damages space and time, allowing dinosaurs to cross into the forest near Oootoko Kakan, run by a decadent ruler. As in the great adventure stories, a team must be assembled to meet the challenge, each one chosen to fulfill a special need. The variety is refreshing: the master swordsman, the scientist, the warrior with “machine armor,” the eccentric, the novice, the psycho, the chef, the female warrior... Each character is given his or her own back story throughout the book, helping to explain the motives that caused them to be chosen. I was honestly confused by the first flashback, thinking that the page was just a pinup of the character with his name at the top rather than the introduction to his story. After I sorted that out, though, I looked forward to each subsequent one.
The story moves along quickly, and we get to see raptors test the mettle of the group early on. The combat scenes are exciting, and the suspense of knowing the killer creatures are nearby is plainly felt. Murphy lets the story express itself in both words and pictures, without cramming each panel full of text; he knows how to let the story breathe. I would even venture to say that more pages would have been welcome, to further develop each of the interesting personalities of the group. They interact naturally, like individual people, and I would have welcomed more of it. Murphy’s story is sound, and provides good entertainment.
Barcelona native Calvet’s art is stylized and leans toward the cartoonish, but not in a silly way. The figures are drawn well, and Calvert makes excellent use of grays in lieu of full black, which is saved for the flashbacks. His white silhouette is a striking device, and his layouts are clean. The view of the city as Ren enters is amazing and full of depth. I do have one quibble with the art, and that may be due to the review copy I received. Throughout the book, but not consistently, the pencils are visible in the art. A character’s arm will show through the object it’s meant to be behind, or just stray marks that were left behind when the pencils were tightened up. It’s not clear if this is intentional on the artist’s part or artifacts from the reproduction process, but it was distracting to me.
Overall, Samurai and Dinosaurs is an entertaining adventure. I would like to see more stories in and around Oootoko Kakan, as it seems obvious that Murphy has spent a great deal of time building this world. Calvert’s colored cover is beautiful in its simplicity, and I'm looking forward to more work from him.
Samurai and Dinosaurs can be requested from your local comic shop, or online at IndyPlanet or ComicsMonkey.
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