Take a first look at new works from The Legend of Zelda comic artists

Key Takeaways

• Kamudo is a new fantasy manga project with perfect art depicting a world created by dragons facing destruction.
• The story features a rich fantasy setting with strong art, exploring half-dragons and a heavenly paradise.
• Promising character writing features the wise half-wolves Shiguru and Kamuna, the first humans in the world a million years ago.

The mangaka duo known as Akira Himekawa are artists who have created numerous manga versions of iconic works. The Legend of Zelda He's been running the franchise for nearly 25 years and has been in the industry for over 30 years, writing several comic book series and building a reputation as a master of the fantasy genre.

In October 2024, a new manga project called Akira Himekawa will begin. Camudo I started serializing. A fantasy adventure set in an idyllic world created by dragons that has existed for millions of years but now faces destruction. What can we expect from Akira Himekawa's works? Camudo?

Kamudo can be read on the VIZ Media website.

Kamudo Story

Rich fantasy environment

The first thing you see when you read a book is Camudo It's a beautiful, full-color page image of a caped young man standing on the edge of a cliff, looking out at an erupting volcano on the horizon and various disasters unfolding in the turbulent seas below. We can clearly see that one of his arms is not human. As you turn the page, you will see two breathtaking pages of a brave-looking hero and a huge, fierce-looking dragon. We learn that long ago, an archipelago stretching north to south called Wa was ruled by various tribes. A half-human, half-animal creature called Ajin before humans took over. The young man steps forward to engage the dragon, and the narrator explains that Wa was a floating landmass, a “heavenly paradise” known as Hinoaruchi.

The prologue packs quite a punch as the colors, intensity of the art, and scenes immediately grab the reader's attention, but the art style we get in this prologue is vastly different from the main story. Demidragon Utopia, known as Ryujinkyō, tells the story of the world's origins to a group of young demidragons. In the beginning, the primordial world was a milky mist that separated the heavens and the earth with God's fingers going wild. From the line he drew, two pillars appeared, creating a gateway for prana to pass through. May the breath of God pass by. The gate was called Kamudo, and the prana that passed through it created the first dragon, whose undulating movements created a spiraling flow of energy that spread throughout the world. Each time prana passed through Kamudo, it pulsed like a heartbeat, called the Dragon Pulse, the source of all life in everything. This is also an introduction to what the power system would be like if expanded upon, with how daily life in Ryujinkyo is powered by pulses and how pulses can be harnessed through rune-like carvings and drawings that can enchant items. It also plays a role.

An exciting start to the series

Kamudo's art is flawless

The reason the first chapter is divided into two parts is so that the first part can focus on laying the basic foundation for the story and introducing the way Hinoaruchi was ruled by the demi-humans. The focus is Ryujinkyo, the half-dragon realm located at the northernmost tip of the continent and built on top of a massive “Pulse Tree”. Ryujin Bridge is considered a utopia by most, and spirits are high as new life is celebrated through the Festival of New Winds, held once every two “cycles” (years?). The festival continues without a break. For ten days and nights. Himekawa's use of exposition to illustrate the basic structure of the world, combined with an art style that nicely reflects the fantastical setting, makes it very easy to become immersed in the events, and it's surprisingly easy to keep track of who's who. The vastness of the demi-dragon design.

Each panel is rich in detail and there are several pages that stand out in a way that conveys the fantastical and magical composition of the world. After telling the children the story of the creation of heaven and earth, Elder Gara enters a 'dream state', receives visions, and is able to communicate directly with Lady Ryusui, the director of Kamudo and the first immortal dragon who has maintained life. For eons. She gives Gara ominous news of approaching death and tells him to look for signs. Therefore, the first half of Chapter 1 is used to present the legend and introduce the world, while the second half focuses on the festival itself and the metaphysical issues that may arise due to Ryusui's death.

Promising character writing

Characters are introduced intentionally.

Towards the end of Chapter 1.1, we are introduced to Shiguru, a traveling half-wolf who is traumatized by the kidnapping of his son Kugui by half-monkey bandits. Since Shiguru is a frequent visitor to Ryujinkyo after being recognized by the young hypodragon girl Liseri, he wanders around the festival for a while before moving on to the birthing room where new hypodragons will soon be hatched, including the elder's great-grandson. . Shiguru's travels have made them very wise, and as they walk around they meet a half-monkey child who causes a commotion. This may be evidence that utopia is not universal, and describes the child as one of the “Landless”. People who blame Ryujinkyo. This establishes a larger world beyond where the dragons live and raises questions about the politics of Hinoaruchi. But the build-up to the climax of the introductory chapter is very successful, as the half-leopard attempts to steal the last unhatched egg of the brood. An unhatched egg is depicted as a harbinger of great misfortune or great disaster. . Dragon eggs appear to fetch exorbitant prices. Enough to “buy an entire nation,” especially if you are a descendant of the half-dragon leader himself.

A brief fight ensues as Shiguru wrestles to retrieve the egg from the stranger and, with luck, watches it hatch safely. From that emerged a strange-looking baby with the arms of a dragon but with human features. This was something I had never seen before. The chieftain takes this as the sign Lady Ryusui spoke of and names the child Kamuna, meaning “child of god.” This brings us to the surprising origin of the series protagonist: he is the first human. An age that lasts for millions of years. Kamuna's real adventure begins in the second chapter, which skips a few years to his childhood. With amazing art, interesting settings, and an approach to world-building. Camudo If you're a fan of high fantasy, this is definitely a book worth reading.

Kamudo can be read on the VIZ Media website.