as promised: reivew of Shaman Warrior Vol. 1

It's taken me a couple of days to digest and re-read (I always make two passes at a trade, I find it helps me digest the fine details of the story, but I also tend to view the artwork differently the second time), but I can now give you my review of Park Joong-Ki's Shaman Warrior, Vol. 1

First of all, the action does not disappoint. It is gloriously incoherent (which is part of why the second read-through is so important), and in some places appealingly abstract in the depiction of movement and force. These aren't bad things at all, but if you are expecting to glance at some frames like you would a traditional superhero comic and be able to easily arrest what is going on, you may find yourself a little frustrated. This is a lesson I learned from Mugen no Jūnin long ago though, so I know what to look for. Park illustrates tremendous power through his well built characters, but they portray convincing grace as well. It got my badass swordfighter space pirates motor running at full speed.

Secondly, the art overall is exceptional. Even the ugly characters have a rich beauty to them, something that I found I oddly appreciated. Waves of mooks have quirky faces, with expressions that compress in scrunched rage in one panel, and then relax and look very different, yet still clearly the same character in another. And everyone has full lips, top and bottom! Even the male characters! If you don't immediately grasp why this is a big deal, then you a) probably don't read much manga, and/or b) don't know what full-lipped characters in Japanese art tends to imply, a subject I will not broach here. Now, I don't know if this is a typical feature of Manhwa work, so maybe someone can educate me on that. Suffice to say though, it was immediately jarring to me, and at first, couldn't help but make the characters all look a little more comical. Looking back on it now though? I love it. Lips are a big way to differentiate male and female characters, and Park plays with this in a fun way regarding one of the characters. I have deliberately avoided reading the wiki on Shaman Warrior, but if anyone wants to give me a non-spoilery clue on why Yarong seems kind of feminine, and why the general referenced his "body changing", let me know. I think I could be imagining some subtext that isn't really there though.

Lastly, the story and plot is melodramatic, full of gravity, and has left me wanting more. It isn't quite as grimdark as I usually go for, but has just enough grit to earn my respect. The characterization is excellent, and what might come off as silly or pointless in some other works which I won't name, comes across as genuine and purposeful in Shaman Warrior. I've seen a lot of absurd "code of the warrior" junk, especially in anime, but this book does it amongst the best I've seen, with a strong shot of realism. I need this kind of stuff to be mature, and Park delivered.

In summation, this trade is highly recommended, both for fans of the genre, for comic nerds in general, and for the rest of you who like pretty pictures (there are plenty of those!). Can't wait to crack open Volume 2!