In just four chapters, Kibuishi’s Daisy Kutter: the Last Train unites the western and science fiction genres. Saloons, general stores, outlaws, and sheriffs co-exist with security guard robots, holograms, and remote-controlled heavy artillery machines.

Chapter one introduces us to the intrepid Daisy Kutter whose attempts to go straight have nearly driven her crazy–or at least driven her to the point of plastering everything in her store with darts from one of her store’s dart guns. Daisy’s prospects perk up somewhat when learns of poker night at the nearby saloon. Although she has purportedly given up gunslinging, she’s still game for a bit of Texas Hold’ em. Unfortunately, she literally bets the farm (in this case store) in a round where the cards up her sleeve aren’t quite ace enough to match the cards her opponent (aka the book’s bad guy) has up his sleeve.

Chapter two finds Daisy pondering her losses; the result of all this thinking is that she finds herself agreeing to a mysterious offer to pull off one last job to get her store back. She also has a row with her old gunslinging, train-robbing partner, Tom, who is now the town sheriff. Their relationship is full of love and hate–some days it’s the former, some days it’s the latter. In Daisy’s mind, Tom has turned into a real square (a fact made literal when one considers his square face in the illustrations), but they still find themselves drawn to each other and to adventure.

Chapter three displays Daisy planning and implementing the job. Daisy explains to her new human and robot partners, “A simple plan is best. You can count on it getting complicated in the end.” The train heist provides Kibuishi with the opportunity to showcase Daisy’s on-the-job performance prowess while simultaneously wowing us with the way he imbues static images with cinematic effect. Daisy moves with the moving train, and, the plot moves too as the best-laid-plan goes awry.

Chapter four shows the aftermath of the train robbery and Daisy slinging her way to a some sort of resolution. Overall, two aspects of the book standout: the movie-like feel of the train robbery sequence and Daisy’s characterization.

Daisy’s gruff exterior, her sorely in need of anger-management temperament, her quick draw, her poker prowess—these all speak typical western hero. But the emotion written across her face, the alternating shoulder slump and pride in bearing, the complicated relationships, the nuances of her character—these all move her beyond stereotypes. Daisy, like so many others before her, is trying to find her place in the world and trying to decide whether that place is inside of or outside of the law. She’s not black or white. Speaking of black and white, Kibuishi employs a masterful range of black, grey, and white hues throughout the novel’s many panels.

After Daisy’s story closes (although it doesn’t really close and there’s definitely room for many a sequel), Kibuishi provides additional chapters where he illuminates his story and character creation process. He includes many earlier sketches of Daisy that show her overall evolution as a character along with a “how it’s done” series of sketches that illuminate the graphic novel creation process as a whole.

In the extra material, Kibuishi even admits that drawing is not his favorite part of the creative process. Fortunately for use readers, he must grit his teeth and bear it, and he comes up with products like Daisy Kutter: The Last Train—a graphic novel that will have widespread appeal across the western, science fiction, and graphic novel audiences. ( )

I really enjoyed this graphic novel - it involved an old train robber getting back into the business for one last shot. Had a twist ending and a lot of action. ( )

This graphic novel is set in the Wild West with robots (though its a more modern wild west with telephones and other such devices, and there is a reference to it being the New West, so it might be in the future as opposed to the past). The Last Train has a rather basic plot. Daisy is a former outlaw, who gets pulled into doing one last job. Things go awry.

This is not a book that will make you think. Rather, it's a good fun read with an interesting main character. Daisy is a strong women who embodies the myth of the old west, able like the John Waynes of old, to stand stoic in the face of chaos. I liked her, and I genuinely hope this book continues into a series, as the ending seems to set it up to do. I want to see more of her adventures. ( )

If you took the Wild West and merged it with steam punk, you'd have the setting of "Daisy Cutter."

Daisy is an gunslinger who has hung up the old way of life in favor of having a store. When she is propositioned by a man and his partner robot to help rob a train at the behest of the train's owner, she turns it down, but when she subsequently loses her store, she is backed into the job.

If there is a flaw of Daisy Kutter, it is that it is too short. Kazu Kibuishi has created a memorable heroine who is taciturn but not distant; tough but not toughened. She is no young miss. She is a woman with a past that she doesn't need to hide and a badass who doesn't have to wear the dark cloak.

Her relationship with Tom, the town's sherriff, is instant chemistry and the banter between them is a mix of postmodern and old 40s Hollywood. A true delight.

The story itself is simple. Kibuishi gets points for not overdoing it. He keeps it simple and it works from start to finish. He lets Daisy and her crew handle the incidentals and his artwork deftly shows us the actions of the characters without unnecessary clutter.

I found this at the library while looking for Transmetropolitan and while I didn't find Transmetropolitan, I'm pleased that I found this. Very, very pleased!

Now I just need to find more!

And t ( )

Daisy Kutter is retired and running the dry goods store when she's asked if she might be interested in robbing a train. She's retired, she's not and no, she doesn't work with robots. At least that's how the story starts until a poker hand goes wrong and she has no choice...

This is a fantastic and quick read with a well-done female lead. Daisy Kutter is beautifully drawn by Kazu Kibuishi. Better yet, Daisy can more than take care of herself without resorting to a sex-charged guy fantasy or some equally bad other-worldly nonsense. The steampunk setting adds to her story rather than detracts (and shockingly, is not an excuse to put her in 40s pin-up gear). ( )