Okko

*Starred Review* Hub is the pseudonym of French animated videogame and film artist Humbert Chabuel, who has contributed notably to such movies as Pinocchio 3000 and The Fifth Element. His first graphic novel presents the beautifully illustrated story of twelfth-century sword-wielding ronin Okko in the mythical land Pajan, which, except for the robots in it, closely resembles feudal Japan. The plot is simple but develops on a labyrinthine path. The geisha Little Carp, sometime lover of Okko's gargantuan sidekick Noburo, is kidnapped by pirates and handed over to a mysterious, veiled woman for nefarious ends. Little Carp's younger brother, Tikku, who tells the tale, swears undying fealty to Okko if he and his cohorts will track down his sister and slay the pirates. The subsequent death-defying journey meanders through crime-ridden archipelagos and includes plenty of bloodletting swordplay and demonic encounters before the veiled woman's identity and real purpose are revealed. While the story is more than serviceably suspenseful and entertaining, no amount of superlatives can justly describe the stunning artwork. Despite being a newcomer to graphic novels, Hub stands with such masters as Moebius and Eisner as one of the finest comics illustrators, past as well as present.--Hays, Carl Copyright 2008 Booklist