Comic thriller “Benkei in New York”: The painting angel of revenge – comics – culture

At first glance, he looks like a gentle giant. But behind the coat, hat and almost childlike facial features, Benkei hides a double secret. In New York, the Japanese in exile is not only in demand as an art forger, but also as a hit man. He does both activities in a clever, flawless manner and according to his own strict moral standards.

„Benkei in New York“ (Writer & Reader, 224 pages, € 16.95) is another manga from the thematically diverse work of Jiro Taniguchi (1947 – 2017), which reaches the German-speaking readership late.

The original series appeared between 1991 and 1996. In seven loosely connected chapters, cartoonist Taniguchi and scenarioist Jinpachi Mori guide through the world of their artistically talented killer and create a mixture of film noir, mafia epic and samurai manga.

The qualities for which Taniguchi is valued can also be found here: fine lines, extremely detailed, realistic backgrounds and a clear page structure. Benei’s New York – the old, dangerous Manhattan – seems palpable, gloomy, a little shabby, and yet always elegant. Just like the hero keeps his cool when he kills again or copies a stolen masterpiece overnight.

He kills with a meat hook, canvas or swordfish

Benkei is an enigmatic figure, about whose circumstances and motivation you gradually learn more without being able to see through them. Psychology is ultimately not the focus of Taniguchi and Mori, least of all reflections on justice, violence and crime. Unusual and tailor-made acts of revenge, effectively staged, make up the core of the manga.

[Vor einigen Jahren traf der Tagesspiegel Jiro Taniguchi in Tokio zum Interview. Hier gibt es das Gespräch zum Nachlesen.]

You have to accept that the spectacular actions and twists often do not care much about plausibility. That minor characters like a mafia boss who turns out to be an art lover or a stripper who just can’t leave Benkei, Genre stereotypes remain stuck, as well. As a highly stylized gangster ballad, “Benkei in New York” is a product of its time. Due to Taniguchi’s pictures and the confidently handled narrative speed, it is worth it.