Vagabond is a Japanese historical fiction comic about the life and travels of Miyamoto Musashi. I know Japanese comics have a weird connotation of either being super girly (magical girls and talking animals) or for man-children (ninjas vs. pirates), and yeah, I read those too, but Vagabond is really a special work of its own.
The story is superb. It's primarily about Miyamoto Musashi and his journey to become "Invincible under the Sun." Why? Well, that's also part of the journey. As he matures, he realizes what it really means to be such a man. The sword fighting is brutally realistic but balanced with the characters' thoughts on how their lives revolve around it. This isn't a "save the world from evil" kind of plot. It's just people living how they can in a very rough time in history. Every character is genuine with their own history.
The art is wonderful, no exaggeration. It's the sort that makes me both sad with envy and jealously motivated. It's starts off mainly using pen but later moves into more and more brushwork and washes. Words can't do it justice, so you'll have to settle for these pictures or looking up more for yourself.
It's very philosophical for a comic. The funny thing is, I felt like a lot of what was being said about swordsmanship and life also reflected art. Although that may not be a coincidence since Musashi demonstrated great artistry in his later years.
One of my favorite parts like this was Musashi trying to cut through a snowman with a twig. After some reflection, he trusts in the tool rather than his own conceptions. "There... I feel it in my fingertips. The weight of the twig." His movements start to change and at that moment he remarks, "I can't help but smile" as he cuts through the snowman.
I've had that feeling before, probably discovering a new way to hold a brush or such, so seeing it reflected in such a way was a surprise and a joy. I also had to smile.
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