Shinku has become one of the sleeper titles for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I initially picked it up but the series has been fantastic with writer Ron Marz and artist Lee Moder turning out great material.

Some will undoudebtly be scared off by the fact that this is book features vampires in it, but somehow Shinku manages to avoids all the pitfalls and cliches that have plagued the genre in recent years. The solicitations for this book summarized it best with, “If you’re looking for vampires that sparkle … this ain’t it.” This is an epic story of one samurai’s war against a clan of vampires, and writer Ron Marz weaves bits of horror and blockbuster action sequences in to keep readers turning pages.

Fans of David Mack’s Kabuki or Bill Tucci’s orginal Shi run (long before they turn the character into a mindless badgirl) will easily enjoy this book, while fans of titles with strong female protagonists will find this worth picking up.