Bloody as all heck! But if you enjoy Kill Bill, you’ll love this! It’s fast paced, and Sang , a most tragic but very spirited and intensely lethal child warrior, steals the show and a bit of your heart by the end. I hope to see more of him. Without ever saying a word, he is likely the most clever, witty, utterly crude and sharp tongues mute you will ever come across, to say nothing of his skills with a blade. And his friend Lucy is almost as big a kick. With an entire city of low life’s and mercenaries hunting them down on a massive bounty, you’d thing it would be in no way a fair fight for a kid and hardcore older lady, but I think the odds are stacked so high in their favor it’s barely a match up at all.

This was an interesting premise, Sang is a child assassin who is looking for revenge for his mentor's murder. It was definitely way more gory than I had anticipated, but that's just me, the brutality in the artwork fits the overall story. I liked the attention to detail of the other gangs who were sent after Sang and was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I would definitely recommend this title.

Sang, a child assassin is set on taking revenge for his Master's murder. After a job for Don Minchella goes bad, Sang is out on the streets, with his Master dead. But while Sang is seeking revenge, all gangs are out to get him by order of Minchella; dead or alive.

A very well-constructed story, The Ballad of Sang is fast-paced, rough, but also heartbreaking at times. The illustrations are a perfect fit to the story. Fair warning: there's a splatter element to the story. Definitely recommended for fans of graphic novels.

In my opinion, Ed Brisson is really good writer. I loved his Sheltered, I have read some X-Men stuff, and some of back-issues of different kind of series. And I always liked it. The Ballad of Sang is no exception. Art seems pretty good to me, though some people may say it is somehow ugly. I liked facial expressions, also the way how the illustrations look kind of alive when blood is splashed. I liked how Sang communicated, all the gangs and their actions. Some issues are filled with violence and humour (sometimes those lines are super-cheesy, but I liked that too), some of them are more like "ok, let's see what to do next". The reason why Sang was fighting with bad guys all the time is funny and unexpectable, ending was really nice. If you liked brutal funny things like SexCastle, or if you're fan of movies like Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins or ninja movies in general, I recommend this.

A gentle (not) but wonderful homage to the cult film director Takeshi Miike. What marks his films particularly are depictions of violent martial arts action-drama.
The Ballad of Sang is a fitting tribute to the often bizarre worlds he creates in his movies, the dark arts of his samurai themed epics as well as films more family friendly and dramatic.
Sang is a young killing machine who wields a sword with the venom of a samurai warrior. His master uses him to carry out threats, intimidation and contract assassinations. However, the impetuousness of youth means he gets carried away and oversteps his physical mandate leaving a debtor dead rather than scared and ready to settle his dues.
This brings trouble to his master's door and Sang tries to intervene but must run away. Since the gangster, out of pocket by Sang botching the job, wants financial recompense.
With a palette of rich primary colours to create a vivid comic strip the illustrations come alive with lots of reds as blood is split by the combatants in what because a war of attrition. Contrast this with linking graphics in subtler pastel hues you have a rich and vibrant script.
With a price on his head there are lots of criminal elements prepared to capture the kid. Sang's story and his engaging personality however brings a few helpers along the way to protect him and fight his corner. Unfortunately, although his struggle seems to be one of revenge against the criminal that destroyed his relationship with his master. It ultimately comes down to a final face off. The ultimate theatrical set piece is of movie climaxing proportions.
A simple bright and engaging story littered with rough hoods and interesting characters. Sang is like a feral beast at times but we share his quest to vanquish the bully of the story. Amid the tension and violence there are exquisite moments of humour, throw away lines with genuine comedy and sublime pathos.
A graphic novel of the highest quality and a read of supreme creativity and delight.

Fans of Old Man Logan would surely enjoy this. This book is brutal, but it is worth sticking with to the end. You never know someone's story, and you should always stick up for what you believe is right.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.