Book Review: Cimarronin: Fall of the Cross issue #1

Book: Cimarronin: Fall of the Cross issue #1 by Neal Stephenson, Charles C. Mann, Mark Teppo, and Ellis Amdur with illustrations by Dean Kotz and color by Marissa Louise

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Publisher: Jet City Comics

Description:

This graphic novel is a Kindle Serial published in three issues for one price. The first issue is available here. 

Cimarronin: Fall of the Cross continues the adventures of Kitazume, an exiled samurai adrift in New Spain, and his mysterious companion, the disgraced Jesuit priest Luis Pérez de Guzmán.

The two men have known each other for more than twenty years, and their histories have a way of catching up with them. As they become embroiled in the deadly politics of New Spain, Kitazume uses his lethal skills to save his friends—and to find redemption. Meanwhile, Luis secretly works as a member of the legendary Shield-Brethren, whose mission is to see that neither China nor Spain controls the silver mines owned by his father.

As the silver caravans in Mexico are raided by gangs of escaped African slaves known as cimarrónes, Kitazume and Luis race to stop the cimarrónes’ leader, El Gato, from plunging the entire region into a tragic period of bloody conflict…


Rating: 3 stars

Review:

This first issue could have been better, it wasn't bad but the story jumped around a bit, making some parts seem a little confusing. It's starts with African men and women being captured for the slave trade, focusing on one man called El Gato who has a plan to one day get free.

The story then shifts to El Gato speaking with a young woman who is perhaps a samurai who has joined forces with El Gato and many of the escaped slaves. They are on their way to Mexico City to continue on with the next step in their plan.

The story shifted again to Kitazume and Luis who have been trying to follow the rogue samurai and the escaped slaves.

Maybe by the second issue this story will become more synchronized and will merge into one story. Because the first issue felt like three stories instead of one. When the story was flowing it's good but the constant jumping around throws it off.

The artwork is good and the story does end on a cliffhanger that has left me interest in picking up the second issue.