Kabuki

Kabuki is a comic series from artist and writer David Mack. It is about an assassin who struggles with her identity in near future Japan.
Kabuki is one of the 8 eight assassin in the Noh, a secret Government agency which balances the power in Japan’s underworld.
As far as the storyline is concerned one can trace a lot of influences on the art and the characters of the story [at least the ones I am familiar with]. Not to mention the industrial style that we see in Blade Runner.
The first Volume Circle of Blood tell us about the origins of Kabuki. The art form in this Volume is black and white. Some of the other volumes are in color. In this volume there is a strong influence from Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland.Especially in the Issue where Kai is killed by Kabuki the entire setup of the Mad Hatter’s tea party has been taken. When Kai takes Kabuki to visit his collections, the book that she picks up is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The passage she reads is this :

‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked.
‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’
‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice.
‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’

And I think I can relate very well to the quote of Kai on books [who has a formidable collection], when he compares the paper books with those that are digital :

But I love the intimacy of books. I love the physical act of turning
the pages and the tactile sensations of fine rice paper contrasting
with an embossed hardcover in my hand.

Influence from Carroll can also be found in other as pack of cards.

We are only faces, yet we are faceless… nothing but a pack of cards
in wonderland.

And in case of Kabuki when she says

I am a reflection, trapped in the world of a little girl.

It seems that David Mack has a fascination for M. C. Escher like I do. There are many influences of Escher in the later Volumes of Kabuki and especially in Metamorphosis. Incidentally metamorphosis is the theme in numerous Escher’s drawings, in which one thing transforms into another. Similarly in all the Metamorphosis issues the theme is of transformation. Also one of the characters is named M. C. Square which I think is a sort of tribute to Escher.
Also there is one quote in Skin Deep # 1 from Escher, which is quoted below.

The crossing of the divide between abstract and concrete,
representations between `mute’ and `speaking’ figures leads us to the
heart of what fascinated me. – M. C. Escher

In the later Volumes when Kabuki is in the reformation center, one cannot but help to think that there is an influence of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta and thus indirectly of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four. Somehow I a find myself bumping into Orwell every now and then, is there a deep connection, or is this theory ladenness of data on my part?  Particularly the character of Akemi the way she builds up the morale of Kabuki has very strong resemblance in which ‘V’ builds up Evey’s mental state

 If it can be taken from you, it was never you to begin with.
After they take away all they can what remains is you.
Only in these situations, we truly know who we are.

The passing of notes on Origami constructions of different animals also reminds us of the same modus operandi in case of Evey’s build up by the Actress in V for Vendetta.
Though the masks form an integral part of the style of the Kabuki dancers in Japan, the kind of attachment that our lead female Kabuki has with the mask resembles the character of V. Under their masks both have scars on their face, but as one the characters in Kabuki puts it

 I think your scars are far deeper than the eyes can see.

Which I think is true in both cases of V and Kabuki. There is a trauma attached to the scar behind the mask, which they cannot forget, they do not want to forget. What they remember is revenge which RGV quoting in Rakhtacharitra [Blood History]  from Gita says:

Revenge is the purest form of emotion.

The masks gives them a new identity, which they can relate to. The masks that they were have become them. They cannot be separated from them. They have become their identity, which they cannot forsake, at any costs.
This post is not complete, will update it when time permits.
* Quotes
** Circle of blood
# 3
One must aim beyond the target. One must aim a long way. Our whole
life, our whole spirit travels with the arrow. And when the arrow has
been fired, it is never the end.
# 4
When in the company of deceptive hearts, be only honest, and your
opponents will fool themselves.
I am a reflection, trapped in the world of a little girl.
# 5
I am invisible, untraceable… like tears in the rain.
But I love the intimacy of books. I love the physical act of turning
the pages and the tactile sensations of fine rice paper contrasting
with an embossed hardcover in my hand.
But then, everybody has their own ghosts, don’t they?
Kai, is life a straight line or a circle?
Both and neither. It’s a spiral like your DNA.
There is no morality in virtual reality. What kind of person will he
grow up to be?
#6
She is going to break your heart into two.
Its true.
Its not hard to realize.
She is going to smile to make you frown,
what a clown.
‘Cause everybody knows
She’s a femme fatale
The things she does to please
she’s just a little tease.
It is time to master duality of your nature you must decide who you
really are.
I play my games, but the hand of fate is much quicker than the lie.
Just as the locusts cloak the sun, my perceptions blinded me.
The warrior unencumbered and willing to go further than his opponent
would always win.
I swallowed the locusts, and with it my fear
Look at the swan skimming the water. Angel wings of ivory feathers, its
eyes veiled in a mask of black. Its beauty rivaled only by its very
own reflection. Ghostly and regal, it seems to glide effortlessly on
the ponds surface, but below the surface… its feed are peddling like
hell…
We are faceless pawns.
Funny thing about pawns. If they make it to the other side, they
become the most powerful player on the board. That is where I am
going. The other side.
I am armed only with the power that my physical presence commands.
I feel the burning of their gaze and it keeps me warm.
A voice in my head tells me the bullet had my name on it.
I tell the voice that they misspelled my name.
# Fear the Reaper
A city whose technology has surpassed its humanity.
If you gaze into eyes of the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
Sometimes there is no comedy, there is no tragedy only a closing
curtain. Sometimes the curtain falls slowly, sometimes it just falls.
We are only faces, yet we are faceless… nothing but a pack of cards
in wonderland.
I am drifting in the dark halfway between the Sun and the Moon.
** Masks of the Noh
#1
Crying and laughter… pain and desire are sisters.
#2
Time always catches up with you.
Never in words had I experienced the chilling satisfaction of words.
#4
Nothing is black and white anymore, it all blurs together.
** Skin Deep
#1
I used to get lost in the shuffle, now I just shuffle along with the
lost.
I think your scars are far deeper than the eyes can see.
The crossing of the divide between abstract and concrete,
representations between `mute’ and `speaking’ figures leads us to the
heart of what fascinated me. – M C Escher
The transformation takes place within our minds.
The only way to define your own identity is to be completely alone.
I don’t seek to find myself.
I seek to loose myself.
Escape is a burning hope.
If horror is not your friend it is your enemy.
** Metamorphosis
#2
You have an interesting way of putting things. And interesting places
to put them.
If it can be taken from you, it was never you to begin with.
After they take away all they can what remains is you.
Only in these situations, we truly know who we are.
#6
Your yesterday is about to collide with your tomorrow.
Your environment reflects your internal disposition.
You can’t face the future until you resolve the past.
 

On Cameras…

A worthy quote from issue 1 of 4 part limited series comics Gangland from Vertigo Comics on cameras and photos..

   I’ve been always fascinated by cameras. Little boxes and inside
   each one, a tiny thief, ready to steal at touch of a button. To
   pocket a moment of time.

   What they steal can never be returned; what they take they keep
   forever…

   Stealing moments in time with my invisible eye…
  
   As if I could replace what’s missing in my heart with a few spare
   moments clipped from other people’s lives.

Y – The Last Man

Recently read the comics series Y The Last Man.

 Tale of a single human male and his pet monkey, who survive an instant death to all the mammals that have the ‘Y’ chromosome; read males. All the mammal males, even the sperms die at the same time. This leads the world in chaos. Yorick the only male to survive this disaster is escorted by Agent 355 with Dr. Mann a scientist, who seems to be the only woman who is capable of doing anything about the catastrophe. So starts the adventure, with only one male remaining in the world

Quotes

#1

Who wants peace, when we have not yet begun to fight?

I am not afraid of the world…. I am afraid of the world without you.

# 5

When the game is over, the Queen and the Pawn go in the same box.

# 7

No price is too great for your opponents king.

# 8

There’s a line I never thought I’d have to hear again.

# 09

Your imprisonment was also your emancipation.

# 12

Euphemisms are only for those who feel guilt about what they are
describing.

With little power comes little responsibility.

# 13

None of us is innocent.

# 14

… but sometimes you must do terrible things for peace.

# 15

This is what happens to friends when a man comes between them.

# 18

Ain’t nothing worse than ladies in numbers.

Is this some kinda joke?
That’s what I keep asking myself.

The Day of The Locust

# 20

It was like, they had crossed the finish line already, you know? But I
still had a million laps to run.

Everyone else just thinks I’m dumb and impulsive and .. well not that
I am not…

Endings have to be earned.

# 21

Isn’t this the part where you do something stupid?

# 22

Good thing, our shit lawys goes according to plans…

Just because you can dance doesn’t mean that you are a dancer…

# 25

I came here for forgiveness… but now I’ve just got more shit to be
sorry for.

The things we do make us what we are.

You fuck better than you preach.

# 27
 You, young man are wise beyond your years.

# 29

Karma is a fucking urban legend.

# 32

Waters won’t be always this calm.

# 35

And I’m no more guilty than you are qualified to sit on that bench.

# 37

The future never shapes up like you figure it will…

# 38
Come on, we have a rumour to kill…
# 42

Love isn’t an emotion it’s an abstract construct mammals assign to a
biological imperative they don’t fully understand.

# 43

Everybody needs somebody.

Sure, this will probably end up being another in a long line of
emotionally crippling misadventures.

No, real relationships can only be forged by hate.

The gangster of love knows how to simulate all passages great and
small.

Yes, you are very beautiful when you cry.

# 44

Everybody has got something to hide.

Everybody’s got something, right?

# 47

How is it wrong if no one ever knows about it?

We may be changing countries, but we will net let that country change
us.

# 49

Mixed messages in my bane existence.

# 50

Faith and science can be friends, but they make for a disastrous
marriage.

Answers to the unknown are all around us.

# 51

Our bodies tell us that we love so many, but there’s room in our
hearts for so few.

# 52

Our sexes maybe equal, but they are not the same.

Because you confused your protective instincts with romantic
feelings.

# 53

Still, you can take the girl out of htthe amazon, but you can’t always
take the amazons out of the girl, right?

# 55

A good relationship isn’t where one the other person makes you feel
better, but where they make you better.

# 57

So you would have said no to the man, but yes to the last man.

I have so many different ways to respond to that, I don’t know even
where to begin.

# 60

We spend nine months trying to get out of a women and rest of our
lives trying to get back in.