Review copy kindly provided by Yen Press

About the Mangaka

Unfortunately I couldn’t find anything on KwangHyun Seo, who wrote the story, nor on JinHo Ko who did the art. If anyone has any info please drop me a line through the contact me page.

About the Manga

croquis_3

I’ve decided the weird art style is deliberate, which is nothing new. Looking at the likes of B.Ichi and Chiwoo it’s easy to see the style being used.

However I don’t like this style of art, I feel it’s trying to hard to carry the series, which it doesn’t need. In truth by trying to hard to do something, it’s doing the reverse, and really holds the series back.

That said this volume has some freaking awesome art in it. Da-Il is done really well in this volume, as is Mu-Huk, gave me shivers at times!! Towards the end however the art degenerates again.

Seo is really trying to make the story work within the confines of the art, and I think he does it really well. This volume has loads of exciting events going on, beginning with the conclusion of the last volumes fight.

Things are revealed a little to fast for me though, to much information is dumped on the reader all at once. However since the series already half way over, I can understand the need to quicken the pace.

I loved the way Seo threw out all my conclusions I’d built over the last two volumes. For the first time in ages I was totally thrown by what I’m reading, and I love it. 

Given the amount of information revealed, and other bits hinted at, only two new Croquis are introduced. Though it’s hinted at that there are others, and that they’re not all after the same thing.

Given that this series is only running for a further three volumes I wonder how well the story can unfold, this is definitely one of those series that can’t be handled properly in a short series. Unless of course they pull another Chiwoo on us, and just stop the story right at the cliff hanger. If that happens I’ll be seriously *beeped* off about it.

Yen did a superb job on this release, and I have to admit I love the pull out colour panel. I wish these (and others in manga) were really pull outs though. Sadly it suffers from serious guttering issues, and after only reading the volume a few time’s the spine of the review copy I was sent is creased to bits already. I hate this, I don’t like damaging my manga, but to read it you have to.

Translation wise, as usual I have no complaints about it. I’m not as good with Korean as I am with Japanese, but the translation flows smoothly and consistently, nothing feels or looks out of place.

While I can’t put this series on my Essential Read list, it’s definitely one I think to  be worth considering. Maybe after I’ve read the full series I’ll change my mind and add it to the list, but for now, it’ll sit just off the junk pile list.

Where to Buy

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