By Mister Vertigo

Samurai Elf, Vol. 1
Written by Miguel Guerra, Suzy Dias
Art by Miguel Guerra
Iberian Press
Cover price: $13.95; Available now

Samurai Elf Volume 1 is a treat. The energy spent on its 180 pages is obvious in every frame, which was necessary. Raising a new universe from the ground requires diligence. Trust in this new everything must be gained if a reader’s going to have fun with a story, and there’s no way to do it right other than working twice as hard. In short, Miguel Guerra and Suzy Dias give the commitment essential to pulling off a tale of dizzying unlikelihood, whose protagonist is not only the last elf in the world but one of the few remaining samurai — attention to detail and undeniable charm power this story like wheels on a car.

Aardan is an orphan stranded in a strange world, faced with burning questions concerning not only his parentage but his ancestry (“What the heck is an elf?”). The hero’s woodsy home is burned and his grandparents slaughtered by evil cyborgs, but he escapes to train as a samurai, toiling to gain the skills necessary to uncover the mystery of his ancestry, and carry out his revenge.

But the minions of Industria are determined, and bring the hunt to the fabled city of Naasbeth where Aardan’s found refuge. And so the elf’s odyssey continues; he teams up with a buxom sidekick and they set out to explore a wide world, chased by a host of villains including cyborg trolls, bounty hunters, and shape-shifting robots.

It’s all quite fun. Yes, yes, I know. There’s an accountant somewhere reading this and soda probably sprayed out his nose a few seconds ago. But never mind him. Pick up Samurai Elf Volume 1 and have an hour of fun with this guilty pleasure.