Manga Reviews Reviews Yen Press

Comic Review: Solo Leveling (Vol 1. 2021) Art by Dubu & Original Story by Chugong

Yen Press puts polish on the popular series making it the quintessential format for collecting.

“Known as the the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung's contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother's hospital bills, his sister's tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line. So when an opportunity arises for a bigger payout, he takes it…only to come face-to-face with a being whose power outranks anything he's ever seen! With the party leader missing an arm and the only healer a quivering mess, can Jinwoo some­how find them a way out?” (Yen Press)

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Released back in 2018, the webtoon adaptation of Chugon's “” has built a steady following off the back of fan translations that carry the series across the globe. While translations in English have existed for the webtoon and are easy to access, Yen Press has polished the series, marking it as the quintessential format for collecting. However, given the choice between the original web novel and comic adaptation, the latter struggles to hold up to the source material.

The artwork, which was handled by (Redice Studio) excels at capturing the action of the series, not shying away from bloody confrontations. However, the overall aesthetic comes across as rather cold with the digital drawings lacking that human touch that gives needed depth. Ultimately, the work feels to commercial and clean in comparison to the world that craft in his novel, making the written word preferable as both a narrative and visual experience.

Admittedly, disconnect with the art may come from my own adoration and praise for the first book and my own disdain for the visual interpretation carries that particular bias. Undeniably, many fans will come to the work for the comic and may come away with a favorable impression of the aesthetic created by Redice Studio.

The narrative is handled with a bit more tact. While lacking the internal dialogue that makes Jinwoo-sun an endearing character in the novel, the comic captures the action and flow with an equal level of excitement. Overall, nothing feels overlooked in key plot points in comparing the two, at this point at least.

With the entire series being previously released online, Yen Press has restructured the panels to give a complimentary and traditional layout. In addition, the sound effects that were originally kept in Hangul have been reworked into English imbuing the work with dramatic flair. Overall, the release gives fans of the webtoon reason to revisit the story as well as drawing in readers who are dissuaded by common stylistic approach within the genre of webtoon.

“Solo Leveling” has been wonderfully adapted and continues to mark the growth of Manhwa and its ability to compete with its Japanese counterparts. While I did enjoy the original book exponentially more than the comic adaptation, it is undeniable that the franchise's appeal rests in both formats for good reason. Notably, the narrative balances nerdy obsessions and empathy through a endearing protagonist and a world inspired by RPG's that does not isolate its audience.

About the author

Adam Symchuk

Adam Symchuk is a Canadian born freelance writer and editor who has been writing for Asian Movie Pulse since 2018. He is currently focused on covering manga, manhwa and light novels having reviewed hundreds of titles in the past two years.

His love of film came from horror and exploitation films from Japan that he devoured in his teens. His love of comics came from falling in love with the works of Shuzo Oshimi, Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, and Inio Asano but has expanded to a general love of the medium and all its genres.

  • Truly, Dubu’s artwork in Solo Leveling is nothing short of phenomenal, breathing life and intensity into every scene. It’s a bitter pill to swallow knowing he’s no longer with us, and didn’t get to witness the anime adaptation of his incredible work.

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