A comiXologist recommends:
Henshin

by: Jen Keith

Henshin is a book I might have overlooked if I didn’t have the job that I do. It’s not a book I’d tend to be attracted to, and if I were to walk by it, odds are I might not have picked it up.

This would have been a catastrophe.

‘Henshin’ means transformation and that is the theme of the book; it’s a collection of short vignettes interspersed with snapshots about the creator, his search for originality, and the ongoing hope of adopting the mysterious cat that leaves “gifts” in his flower pots. The transformations in each story highlight changes, from the inconsequential to the world-shaking. It is a combination of honest insight into life, personal reflections, and the impact a day, hour, or even a moment can have, be it thrust upon us or through our choices and actions.

Really, the cats would be enough to endear me to the book, but there’s a lot more to it. It’s the kind of book that’s able to make me smile on a morning commute in a crowded train, which surely earns it some kind of award. There is a balance of humor and heartfelt, character driven plots, even as the writing takes twists I’d never expect. Other stories include a businessman taking a step out of his routine, the bonds of family, baseball, friendship, bathroom habits, living in foreign countries, and more.

Ken Niimura’s art style, which you may recognize from I Kill Giants, is energetic, almost scratchy ink work that uses shape and negative space well without looking unfinished. It evokes emotion, atmosphere, and warmth of character in lines and texture that are all packed with purpose. It’s a surprisingly fast read for being over 200 pages; it’s the kind of book I could read on a sunny day at the park so I could pause every so often to people-watch. That is, if I could put it down.

It’s books like this that help me step out of my own routine and broaden my comic-reading horizons, which is why I eagerly thrust this at my friends with declarations about cats and twist endings. So when reading Henshin, remember: come for the cats, but stay for the poignant shorts and unpredictable humor.

[Check out Kenshin on comiXology]

Jen Keith is a Digital Editor at comiXology, comic artist, music addict, and habitual feeder of the whiny stray cat that visits her apartment.