A review by miguel
Blade of the Immortal, Volume 2: Cry of the Worm by Hiroaki Samura, Toren Smith, Dana Lewis

5.0

In Blade of the Immortal's second volume, we are offered a ghastly mirror to Manji in the form of Eiku Shizuma. Mirroring a character is an underutilized narrative technique with a number of psychoanalytic valences (the alternate version might represent the unconscious, among other possibilities). Here, the utility is granting some insight into the possibilities for Manji without making him engage in existential exposition. Eiku carries the pain of eternal life through his 200 years and 1,000 murders. That anguish is a clear cautionary tale for Manji and it dovetails nicely with Manji's growing relationship with Rin.

What this second volume demonstrates is Samura is not satisfied with his kinetic action set pieces and great art but rather wants offer substantive ideas and character beats as the manga's foundation.