Read this Manhwa

SHAMAN WARRIOR Vol.1
Park Joong-Ki


Recently Dark Horse has started publishing a couple manhwa series, namely Shaman Warrior and Banya: The Explosive Deliveryman. For those not familiar with the term manhya, it is the Korean word for "comic".

Today I read Shaman Warrior Vol. 1, and then... I read it again.

Wow.

I read a lot about this title before actually reading it myself, but let me say it was one of the most satisfying comic reads of recent memory.

For starters, the art is crisp and detailed, without being overwhelming. The experience is a very visceral ride, showing off more fight scenes than story lines, but that is more than OK. The story comes through and the battles are bloody. There are a couple times when Park plays with perspective making me do double and triple takes, but when I could grasp what was going on, I was wowed again.

Some have complained that there is too much fighting, and not enough character development in this first volume, but, personally, I wouldn't change a thing. The story is very moving in a manly sort of way (think Lone Wolf and Cub), and I would recommend having Volume 2 on hand (I didn't) to see what happens next.