STORY OF THE TAO: 1

This historical fantasy from Hong Kong is steeped in Asian myth and legend, though to no understandable end because of confusing storytelling. The overarching plot is built on an ancient conflict between spirituality and evil. Taoism, Buddhism, Shinto and mysticism have earthly guardians called the Four Saints, who engage in lengthy battles against the Clan of Seven Evils and, it seems, each other. Their mission is to "teach people to become living deities of their own beliefs, finally entering the world of Nirvana, bringing peace to the human world." Their long fights are punctuated by long monologues riddled with religious and spiritual terminology, not all of it really decipherable, owing to either poor source material or incomplete translations. The first two-thirds of the story consist of these battle scenes, with character introductions and background stories appearing at the very end, forcing bewildered readers to move back through the book to understand what has just happened. In the tale, a king's son, heir to enormous powers and destined to be a Buddha, is threatened by his evil stepmother, now the queen of the realm. Transforming Asian religions into complex mythological superheroics is a unique idea in comics, but here, the backstory, constantly alluded to and never explained, renders the plot indecipherable. The artwork is muscular and well executed, if short on storytelling technique beyond fisticuffs and shouting. It's conceivable that the overall story might make sense in future volumes, but as it is, in story and art, this mythos is a mess. (June)