2 out of 5

So, like, maybe you knew this, but I did not: that co-lead ass-kicker of these comics, Remo Williams, was the star of over one hundred books written starting at the end of the 60s.  I saw the “based on characters created by…” tag on these comics, and accepted that that would cover the reasons for the apparent built-in backstory of a government sanctioned two-man kill crew, and that carried me through the kookily entertaining first volume of the comic version of this.  But volume two – which starts with a flashback to an International fightin’ group kidnapped during the Boxer Rebellion, then flashes forward to scattered hints of a slavery ring in present day, then jumps to Remo buying loafers, then jumps to some dude ushering in the 2012 Mayan portended date of universal destruction… – volume two is a fucking mess of prior references and characters and good lord it does not read well.  Lone creator M. Rasheed’s sketchy but energetic art style and casual characterization makes it surprisingly tolerable, but let it suffice to say that I’m going to be investing in some Tales of Shinanju books to see if it helps me better understand what’s what.

I mean, it doesn’t suffice to say that, solely, so let me add that I’m intrigued enough to invest the time to want to find out more.  But this is still a really all-over-the-place narrative.