Island

(Tokyopop, 2001)

Island is an unusual manga, for two reasons: First, it’s Korean manga, which, in itself, is intriguing; it’s good to see a comic book from a country that hasn’t been known to produce many of them for American consumption. Secondly, the main character is a serial killer—or so the reader thinks.

The plot is simple: A spoiled rich girl, Won Miho, decides to find out about the world and takes a teaching job on the mysterious Cheju Island in Korea. There, she teams with a mysterious stranger, Pan, who, on first glance, is a psychopath but then protects her against an evil Chongyom (demon). Won Miho then strikes a Faustian bargain with Pan that, presumably, sets up the remainder of the series.

The art is astounding, striking a creepy mood with its use of deep blacks, shadows, and low contrast. It appears that the translation is liberal, using such American colloquialisms as “basically nada” and “today’s plan is screwed!” as well as a smattering of four-letter words. There’s no way to tell for sure, but it might have served the story better to stick to a more literal translation.

That aside, this is a good start for a pair of talented Korean manga creators, In-wan Youn and Kyung-il Yang, and fans of this series will have to keep a eye out for more of their work.

— Steve Horton

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Notes

Writer

Artist

#1

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In-Wan Young

Kyung-Il Yang