Keisuke Itagaki is the manga artist behind popular martial arts and combat series Grappler Baki and its four sequels (and thus Netflix's Baki anime series). As fans know, his art style is very distinctive, known for for portraying his hardboiled characters with pronounced jawlines, veins the human body doesn't even have, wrinkles, and muscles upon muscles upon muscles. It's a very fitting style for the violent and hyper-masculine world of fighting he creates.

We can't think of any more fitting movie character to jump to be portrayed in that style than John Rambo, the ultimate killing machine. So in honor of the upcoming June 26th release of Rambo: Last Blood, Itagaki a movie poster-esque illustration of Rambo--with just a touch of Baki.

『ランボー』と『バキ』のコラボイラスト(C)2019 RAMBO V PRODUCTIONS, INC.

The collaboration isn't strictly character based either. Rambo actor Sylvester Stallone seems to be a really big fan of Itagaki's work--as Sly himself revealed nearly ten years ago!

Ahead of the Japanese release of Rambo: Last Blood and along with the the awesome illustration, Itagaki commented on the film (having seen it already): "Rage and revenge, as long as as you have those two things, 'Rambo' can be repeated over and over again. I mean, he's not dead yet! This time too!"

『ランボー』と『バキ』のコラボイラスト(C)2019 RAMBO V PRODUCTIONS, INC.


By - Big Neko.