Manhwa Bookshelf

Welcome to the second installment of Manhwa Monday! If you missed it, you can pick up the first here.

Featured today is Chris Mautner’s recent review of The Color of Water/The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa (published by First Second), which follow up on the series’ first volume, The Color of Earth. As this trilogy ends, the reviewer worries that it may miss finding a real audience, despite its strengths. “But for those willing to walk that line between the two extremes, Hwa’s story remains compelling right up to its happy but slightly bittersweet ending.” I have not read this short series, but Mautner’s review makes me want to. Read the rest of the review here!

In other reviews, Erica Friedman discusses volume four of Click (NETCOMICS) over at Ozaku, Julie checks out volume 2 of Jack Frost (Yen Press) at Manga Maniac Cafe…

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Today I begin a new weekly feature here at Manga Bookshelf: Manhwa Monday! Each week, I’ll feature a particular review or other manhwa-related post discovered online (sometimes mine, sometimes not) as well as rounding up links to all things manhwa from the previous week. I’m doing this partly to put a regular spotlight on manhwa in hopes of drawing in new readers, and partly to try to help create a sense of community around manhwa specifically–something I think is currently lacking, at least in the circles I frequent.

So, welcome to the first installment of Manhwa Monday here at Manga Bookshelf! Today I’m going to feature two reviews from the previous week–one of them mine, one not. Both are collections of short manhwa by a single artist, though they are completely different from each other. The first is Byun Byung-Jun’s Mijeong, published by NBM/Comics Lit and reviewed by me last week at Manga Recon. The second is Hee Jung Park’s Too Long, published by TOKYOPOP and reviewed by Connie at Slightly Biased Manga.

Mijeong is a decidedly melancholy collection of stories featuring mainly broken or lost characters, mired in the sorrow of their pasts. “For me, only my past has any meaning,” one character says early on, setting the tone for much of the volume. This tone, however, is not exactly sad, or at least not exclusively so. From my review: “Byun Byung-Jun’s characters are both burdened and enriched by their histories, an insight that rings inescapably true. Even when longing for the past leaves characters bleeding to death in the grass … there is an unmistakable sense of hope lingering around the edges of most of these stories—a haunting paradox that helps maintain the volume’s momentum.”

Though the collection is definitely flawed, maybe even greatly so in some places, it is filled with tangible emotion and a sense of restlessness that keeps the reader on edge throughout–characteristics I find extremely compelling in any work of fiction. Ultimately, this is a book I can enthusiastically recommend. Full review here.

On an equally enthusiastic note, Connie, who admits she is often wary of short story collections, says this about Hee Jung Park’s anthology, Too Long: “Most of the volume is quite excellent, and this is probably among the best female-oriented comic short story collection that I’ve seen … Hee Jung Park comes through once again, and once again, I’m going to lament the fact that none of her stories are coming out in English anymore. She really does seem to be one of the greats, and I would love to read more than a volume or two of her best work.”

Please read the rest of Connie’s thoughtful review over at Slightly Biased Manga. Connie reviews more manhwa than many manga-focused blogs I’ve seen, and she frequently has very good things to say about the manhwa she reads.

Weekly Roundup:

Last week saw two reviews of Yen Press’ series, Sugarholic, from Jennifer Dunbar at Manga Recon (vols. 1 & 2) and from me here (vol. 1). I also reviewed volume 1 of Full House from NETCOMICS’ online catalogue.

Manga Recon’s Mini column last week offered up three manhwa reviews, Ken Haley on volume 2 of Jack Frost, Connie C. on volume 2 of 13th Boy (a personal favorite of mine), and Jennifer Dunbar on volume 4 of Bride of the Water God.

Danica Davidson at The Comics Reporter took a look at Bride of the Water God as well, this time volumes 1-4; Tiamat’s Disciple checked out the final volume of Croquis Pop; and Lissa Patillo looked at volume 9 of The Antique Gift Shop over at Kuriousity.

Is there something I’ve missed? Leave your manhwa-related links in comments!