Everyone follows their own path … – a review of the comic book “Der Pfad des Dao” vol.3

Der Pfad des Dao is a trilogy about the fate of Musashi Miyamoto and his student Mikedi. Will the last volume prove to be a worthy  ending of the series?

 

By deviating from the path of the sword

The second volume ended with a bloody battle. It was initiated by Mikedi against the will of his master. It is not surprising, then, that in the third part, the relationship between them worsened significantly. So much so that Musashi Miyamoto decides to end his training. He only keeps the promise made to his father – he brings Mikedi to the presence of the emperor’s daughter, and he himself leaves. Interestingly, not alone, because he takes a stray named Samlo with him. From now on, we follow the fate of Mikedi, who tries his best to forget the words of the master: “You do not deserve this …”. Anyway, this is not his only problem, because in order to win the favors of the Emperor’s daughter, the young samurai will be forced to travel to Europe in search of the secret of alchemy.

The emperor’s daughter with a serpent’s tail

What I like the most about the whole trilogy is Mikedi’s development. Initially he appeared as an annoying kid, and over time he became a skillful learner to eventually go his own way. In this volume, the author presents the birth of Musashi Miyamoto. I like this legend, although I wonder what about the promised story from the first volume. In it, Musashi said that he would tell Mikedi when he matured how the “magic katana” came into his hands. The love theme was also supposed to be important, and it actually appears in the legend presented in the third volume, but there is no mention of Musashi’s unique weapon. The emperor’s daughter should be mentioned among the more interesting heroes. Not only does it look like a reptile, but also close to a not-so-nice snake.

Katanas drenched in blood

Federico Fernani is a talented artist, I looked at the individual frames with great pleasure, appreciating his attention to detail. He brilliantly portrayed the rough sea, as well as the numerous battles taking place in the frames of the comic. He also skillfully reflected the reptilian character of the Emperor’s daughter, who is closer to a dragon than a human. As in previous volumes, also in Der Pfad des Dao. Band 3, there is a legend drawn by another artist, thanks to which the reader may get the impression that he is actually listening to the story told by the storyteller with the protagonist.

The comics of the Lost In Time publishing house are a guarantee of the highest quality. In the case of the third volume, I only like the translation of the subtitle. In addition, when comparing all three volumes, in my opinion, on the back of the cover of the second part, a drawing of a more mature Mikedi should be placed, instead of the same from the previous volume.

Was it worth following Musashi Miyamoto?

Der Pfad des Dao is a very surprising trilogy. I liked the first part (but it did not impress me excessively), but with each subsequent volume my interest grew. I regret that this is the end of this adventure. The trilogy’s culmination was intriguing, full of surprises and interesting events. I especially appreciate the skillful presentation of Mikedi’s development from a child (like a clay in the hands of a master) to an adult warlord going his own way. Federico Fernani and Mathieu Mariolle are a very harmonious duo that created a unique story. Now I have to wait for the next works of the talented scriptwriter, that is for the next volumes of Nautilus!