years ago involving the Crimson Avenger and the Phantom of the Fair). The biggest change in the character is actually visual, as artist Guy Davis has redesigned Sandman’s outfit, opting for a trenchcoat instead of a cape and replacing his bizarre blue-and-gold gasmask with a more conventional (and somewhat more intimidat- ing) World War I vintage gas mask. The result is a slightly more realistic yet still stylishly spooky figure.

Wagner’s scripting is excellent. The reader is presented with a strong supporting cast: the idealistic, upright Judge Schaffer; the blustery but sincere District Attorney Lawrence Belmont; ind the headstrong, intelligent and free-spirited Dian Belmont, the D.A.’s daughter. Dian, who was a recurring figure in the original Sandman lories, is intrigued by the eccentric Wesley Dodds, finding herself drawn to him and more leeply involved in the mystery surrounding his lter ego as both Sandman and police hunt the arantula, another shadowy figure whose mur- trous misogyny finds an outlet in the kidnap- ing and murder of beautiful young women, ginning with a friend of Dian’s who may have ad ties with the mob. Wagner builds suspense try effectively as the story unfolds bit by bit. ven the Sandman himself is a figure of mys- ty to us at first, as along with the other laracters we see only a bizarre figure of an

own nature lurking in the shadows.

This atmosphere of mystery is made possi- le in part by the artwork of Guy Davis. Davis’ otk is highly detailed, very illustrative, and phasizes linework in its figures and shadings an extent that the finished artwork is reminis- nt of etchings or engravings. It can look rather atchy or sloppy in spots, but in many other aces it achieves a moody atmosphere that is compelling. Together with colorist David dmung, Davis creates a shadowy chiaroscuro t gives an eerie, dreamlike quality to such ‘nes as the Sandman’s nocturnal visit to the ‘\. and Dian’s unexpected encounter with a ain gas-masked figure lurking in the dark- td ladies room of the police precinct. Still, art is not without its flaws. The drawing’s asional sloppiness is most evident and dis- Sing in the faces of the characters, which are Netimes distorted or inconsistent. In particu- » Davis has a habit of drawing the most 'esquely bulbous noses this side of Karl lden, particularly jarring when they appear lemale faces. Hideous honkers and sloppi- ‘aside, the artwork is reasonably competent ¢xcellently suited to the mood and tone of Series, Offering an intriguing mix of mystery, hor- and psychological drama, Sandman Mys-

eatre is an unusual and unique new series ‘promises to be very interesting. It’s priced Somewhat expensive $2.50 per issue and is lished monthly, and the book’s distinctive lographic cover art by Gavin Wilson makes ‘nd out. With all that it has going for it, man Mystery Theatre may become DC’s t sleeper hit. r)

This Week: Revenge of the Ninja Warrior and Shogun Assassin

by Trent Drake

re turning Japanese. We’re turning \\ / Japanese. I really think so. Seems like

everybody these days is being sucked up into a swirling tornado of shuriken, katanas, lame plots and Oriental action. Let’s face it, ninjas are HOT. They’ reabsolutely everywhere. They’re in cereal boxes, sewers, theme parks, video games, Oprah, and your closets (That oughtta make you paranoid).

And with all that popularity, you’ d think they could afford more than one plot.

But noooo, all we ever get is good ninja versus the bad ninja(s) who killed his father. And we all know why, right? Because American film producers don’t know enough about real Japanese culture to do a realistic martial ‘arts movie. Right? Right?

Well, sort of. The two movies I’m re- viewing here were produced with Japanese scripts, Japanese crews, and Japanese locales... and they suck. This week’s column has one

goal: To, by showing that even the near mythic.

Japanese are capable of their fair share of cul- tural distortion, show them to be only human and bring the world one step closer to a global brotherhood of man.

And maybe get some cheap laughs in the process.

First up, the world’s most convoluted plot in the world’s least animated Japanimation feature: Revenge of the Ninja Warrior. This is the tale of Jiro, a young orphan boy who pos- sesses a glowing dagger. In the second scene, a Ninja Assassin(tm) from a Mysterious Cult(c) kills Jiro’s mother and sister and frames Jiro for it. As the plot develops, confusion abounds. Jiro’s real father turns out to be from a clan of mysterious ninjas that guards a mountain from which blows a fierce wind that may be either good or evil. The evil leader of the clan chases Jiro and has his real father killed and then befriends Jiro and trains him to be a fierce warrior and sends him to the mysterious village at the foot of the mysterious mountain and dispatches Jiro’s trainer to kill Jiro for some mysterious reason and there’s a mysterious fight scene and mysteriously, it’s as boring as

the Hell Where People Watch Reruns of Full House. Jiro fights the trainer and then poisons him (?).

From here, the plot slows to the pace of a physically challenged snail, and goes through more twists than a boa constrictor ina pretzel maker. As Jiro searches, first for his mother and then for Captain Kid’s treasure (??), he goes through fight scene after fight scene with no real reason exceptso the ninjas can kill Jiro’s friends. He goes to America, meets a lovely Indian lass who later turns out to be a Caucasian reporter in disguise (???) and even befriends Mark Twain

Stupid? You bet. Boring? Yep. Idiotic? Yeah... worse than Bob Saget. Spectacularly animated? Nope. The characters barely move. Most of the movie is one still picture with a moving background of laser effects. When the characters do move, they all move the same way. In a word, stupidly. They leap like horny kangaroos through forest and rocks and across flatmeadows. Even the fight scenesare stiffand undynamic, suffering from a severe case of overused laser effects. The final conflict with the High Priest barely moves.

Stuff to Watch For: Only one scene I can think of has to be seen. Near the end, on board a ship, Jiro turns to two guys he doesn’t know and delivers the following wonderfully dumb line ina stoic deadpan: ‘‘ You are the only two who survived. I am grateful.’’

Judgement: Don’t watch it, if you value your illusions of the quality of Japanese anima- tion. It SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS! Still, it could have been worse. His name could have been Ryu.

But anyone who knows anything about Japa- nese culture realizes that the hype over ninjas is undeserved. Real ninjas were cowardly, skulk- ing creatures with little or none of the honour and swordfighting prowess that the movies attribute to them. The real stars of feudal Japan were the samurai who guarded the Shogun. They were so full of honour they squished when

continued on next page

25