This is about a young man in Japan who has gotten himself into some trouble with a gang. He's sent to learn from a master tattoo artist. Years later, he's become as good as his master. That's when he finds out that his master secretly tattoos Yakusa in the room above the store.

The art is really good. But the story is told confusingly and not much happens. The whole thing is kind of boring, unfortunately. I thought I'd really enjoy this one.

It's so nice to see a graphic novel about tattoo-artists!! And it's sad that's too hard to find the another parts to purchase :(

I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review:

I loved this comic, about Yoshi; a young Japanese tattoo artist who is trained in the traditional style of tebori. This story does contain quite a bit of violence and there is a heavy mention of gangs. It's a very extensive story that is paired with beautiful art and colouring. The cover is a true testament to the greatness that is this graphic novel. There is a great vibe to the colours used and their aid to the story.

The characterisation of Yoshi was great as well, especially with his interactions.

And what an ending that was! I'm not yearning to read the second volume, but I am very much interested in finding out about the story of that tattoo!

<b>I’m still not getting a tattoo</b>, but this book is good. <b>Tebori</b> is traditional Japanese hand tattooing. Many artists praise it for its ability to create subtle gradations of tone that are difficult to achieve with a machine.

Yoshi, a troubled teenager, is sent by his grandfather to Seijun, a highly renowned tattoo artist. Against all expectations, the boy masters the art of tattooing, including the complicated Tebori technique. Ten years later, Seijun reveals a great secret to his apprentice: his clients are from the yakuza, the formidable Japanese mafia. Each tattoo they bear has a specific meaning, often to do with the murders they’ve committed. When Yoshi discovers that his friend is tattooed with the same strange design as one of the yakuza bosses, his whole world turns upside down…

The action felt breakneck and plot engaging. Yoshi and other characters have interesting backstories.

Toledano's art is stunning, his colour schemes vary from place to place and correspond to moods. A sign of a true artist. The font, though, doesn’t sit on a clear baseline. The effect feels a bit distracting. Word balloons go off panels in places. Uncool.

Overall, a good and engaging comic book. If you're into tattoos, yakuza and Japanese culture, give it a go.

This graphic comic book introduces the reader to the street life and tattoo business of Japan. The main character learns the art until he masters it, and along the way we learn of the lives of other characters. The.scenes soon blur into one another, however, in that either the main character is at the bar with friends, or at work. It becomes rather mundane after a while of nothing different happening. However the book provides a lot of information about the tattoo industry.

"Tebori" is a beautifully put together comic filled with blood, guts, tattoos, and motorcycles. Although it was a little confusing  at first, it proved to be exciting and full of stories.

The main character, Yoshi, is a young tattoo artist who's also in a gang. He spends most of his time either tattooing, or at the club. That is, until his Master goes into retirement, and loses his finger. He can't tattoo anymore, and Yoshi must take over his work. Now working day and night, he's exhausted but exhilarated by the stories he hears. He's learning so much, and his life in changing so quickly. But there's a dark secret hidden in the shop.

This story was very short. I read all seventy five pages of it very quickly, and really enjoyed the art. Where it's lacking in superheroes, it makes up for in rich backstory of the characters. It's slow paced, but gory, and it's perfect if you want to read something interesting but also quick. I'm not sure what to compare it to, but you should check it out if you see it.

Thanks for reading!
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)

'Tebori' by Jose Manuel Robledo is a graphic novel about violence and tattoos. It takes place in Japan, so that makes some sense.

When Yoshi continues to get in trouble, his grandfather sends him to work with Seijun, a master tattoo artist. His friends are convinced that Yoshi is tattooing yakuza, but it's not until Seijun is injured that Yoshi learns about the secret room where Seijun worked on these dangerous clients. Now Yoshi is working day and night to help Seijun, and learning to tattoo on Seijun's secret customers.

Initially, I found this story to be a bit confusing because I couldn't tell that time was passing or what I was seeing was a flashback. I did end up really liking this story, and the art. The art and coloring are really good in this story. While the story doesn't finish here, I'd like to read more of this series.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Europe Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

A book that pleasantly disarms. It appears to be about gangs and yakuza in particular (boring), tattoos (boring and ugly) and a lad who can't escape his destiny on the wrong side of the law (boring and done to death). But in combining all three it makes for a more interesting and attractive book, and the final disarming beat of this volume means the rest of the trilogy has a lot of promise. I'm actually surprised by how much I want to see the next two parts...

Superb. No other word for it. Superb drawing and storyline, The layout worked brilliantly and I was absorbed immediately into the narrative. Gutted at the end with the cliffhanger. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!? can’t wait to find out. One of the best graphic novels I’ve read in a long time.

This is a fantastic graphic novel. Yakuza, tattooing rituals, bike gangs. There is a lot to love in this one. Definitely looking forward to more!

As a teenager Yoshi got involved with motorcycle gangs. After an incident which sees him injured and in trouble, his grandfather pleads with a tattoo artist to take Yoshi on as an apprentice.

Unbeknown to the grandfather Seijun is not just a master tattoo artist, he is also a tattoo artist for the yakuza.

Years later Yoshi has become a leading tattoo artist himself and when Seijun is no longer able to tattoo, Yoshi takes over under his supervision.

And it is now that Yoshi realises that Seijun's clients are also yakuza.

And so Yoshi enters a world of violence, ritual, myths and murder, and as he becomes reknown in his own right he has to navigate the twists and turns of the world that he has entered.

This is the first volume of what is shaping up to be an intriguing series. Yoshi listens to the violent myths of the men he tattoos, quite unaware of how these stories will spill over into his own life. When he meets a young woman who has a tattoo he designed on her back he is suddenly thrust into mystery and danger. Who is this mysterious woman and how did she get his tattoo?

The art and storytelling are really good and together they build up anticipation in the reader for all that is to follow. I was quickly pulled into the story and I felt quite dissapointed when this volume finished. If you like action and story, as well as great art, then this is definitely a series to get into.

I want to see how Yoshi will survive this violent world that he has inadvertently entered. Who is this girl who bears his artwork? How can he continue to work tattooing incredibly dangerous people?
What other secrets is Seijun hiding and above all how can Yoshi become a master tattoist and stay alive?

Lots os action, myths, mystery and violent murder, and also just highly intriguing!

Copy provided by Europe Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.