There are two universal truths in today’s rapidly changing comics industry. The first is that Dog Man is the defining comic of our era. The second is that more people are reading manga and Webtoons (aka vertical scroll comics) than ever before. Therefore we at The Comics Beat have chosen to embark on a new venture: Beat’s Bizarre Adventure. Every week we’ll have three writers recommend some of their favorite books and series from Japan, Korea and elsewhere. This week we have a fairy tale saga, a hitman romance, and, of course, kaiju (but not of the number 8 variety.)
Raven Saga
Writer/Artist: Chihiro Howe
Platform: WEBTOON
I have loved Raven Saga for many years. It is near and dear to me in part because the artist and author, Chihiro Howe, is someone I know. But also because, in my opinion, it is a hidden gem among the sea of Originals that dominate the platform.
Raven Saga began serialization on March 11, 2021 at WEBTOON. It centers on Wen, a raven-haired girl sheltered and secluded on a farm by her grandmother Mother Goose. When a mysterious man with raven powers kidnaps her grandmother, Wen sets off on an adventure to save her. She is joined by Corliss, a prince cursed to help others at his own expense, and by Theo, Corliss’s bodyguard turned barn swallow.
Raven Saga takes place in a world of fables and fairy tales. Every region has a fairy tale name like Fablewald, Talehurst or The Sea of Talemar. Wen and Corliss meet familiar characters from Puss in Boots, Snow White (best girl), The Pied Piper, and others. These characters are introduced in a natural way, yet stir intrigue as to their role in the narrative.
This is also one of the few Originals I have read that is connected to a Canvas series through one of the supporting characters who joins Wen and Corliss in their adventure. It is subtle and might go over some reader’s heads. As somebody who read Chihiro’s Canvas series, though, the connection gave me such an amazing dopamine rush that I wish I could experience it all over again.
The art in Raven Saga stands out from so many webtoons. Chihiro’s style is so colorful, expressive, and yet comforting. Bright watercolors make the characters and world feel at home in this fairy tale setting. The backgrounds are very detailed, no doubt in part due to the contributions of the legendary Attsuhiro. His past work includes well-known Shonen Jump series like Death Note, Hunter x Hunter and Shaman King. These backgrounds compliment Chihiro’s style, ensuring that the characters remain the focus of the space they inhabit.
I could go on praising Raven Saga, but that should give you an idea of how much this series means to me. Its story, art and setting are unique among WEBTOON’s other Originals. It deserves a larger readership. — Justin Guerrero
Touch Within the Abyss
Artist/Writer: Moyori Mori
Translator: Debbie Fu
Lettering: Nicole Roderick
Publisher: ShuCream BL
Chinatsu is a hitman who can’t kill. Five years ago he watched his brother die because of his actions. Blood, terror, guilt and a hand stretching from the darkness still haunt his dreams. So do the gentle eyes of a boy who saw everything that happened that fateful night. One day he meets that boy, a young blind man named Kasumi.
Kasumi’s world became dark five years ago when he lost his sight. Although this does not change when he meets and befriends Chinatsu, the darkness no longer feels as oppressive and he no longer feels lonely. Chinatsu and Kasumi have been living in the darkness for so long by themselves that neither of them remembered what light was until their reunion.
Touch Within the Abyss is Moyori Mori‘s debut work, and what a debut it is. There’s a gentleness to Mori’s art: in Kasumi’s soft eyes as he gazes at the world around him; in Chinatsu’s expression as he looks at Kasumi; in tender touches exchanged between them. That gentleness can also be seen in Mori’s narrative of two lonely souls finding acceptance, forgiveness, and love when they didn’t think it was possible.
Chinatsu and Kasumi convey a fragile strength and beauty. Everyone around them perceives them to be weak–because of Chinatsu’s inability to kill, or Kasumi’s disability–but they both possess a quiet resilience they didn’t realize they had until they met each other.
Touch Within the Abyss is complete in one volume. While I’m a little sad the story is so short, the ending is perfect. — Hilary Leung
The Gay Who Turned Kaiju
Writer/Artist: Kazuki Minamoto
Translator: Leighann Harvey
Lettering: Carolina Hernandez
Publisher: Yen Press
Takashi is trying to make it through high school as quietly as possible, but bullies have singled him out. Only his homeroom teacher Kuroda’s kindness makes coming to school worthwhile. When Takashi overhears Kuroda go on about how disgusting gay men are, though, his world turns upside down. Vulnerable and hurt, he desperately wishes to become anyone, anything else: “something” that’s not gay. Then he becomes a bizarre monstrous kaiju with the body of a human and a head of… well, look at the cover.
I know Kazuki Minamoto best from their Boys Love works, but they have also drawn josei and teen romance comics. Their work is wacky, upbeat and fun, seemingly thrown together just because Minamoto wanted it that way. The Guy Who Turned Kaiju is just as weird and interesting as Minamoto’s other work, yet is much more serious this time.
Kuroda’s homophobic remarks hurt Takashi deeply. The ache of rejection combined with the crushing weight of “normality” warps him into a monster. I’m sure this feeling of denial alone will resonate with many queer people. But Minamoto expands on this even further, adding layer after layer of complexity. that, adding layer after layer and bringing in an interesting complexity.
Takashi stops being bullied after he becomes a kaiju. It gives him a complicated sense of thrill. Getting up in the morning isn’t as draining and going to school has become easier. Meanwhile, Kuroda is adamant about helping Takashi return to normal. He takes him to hospitals in search of a doctor willing to take on his case, all while making grand declarations of acceptance. These parallels to queer experiences such as being treated as a sick or a dangerous person, or having to thread every relationship carefully without knowing whether or not you’ll be accepted, pack a real punch.
An openly gay artist himself, Kazuki Minamoto delivers a bittersweet, fun and complex single volume of manga that I highly recommend. — Merve Giray
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