“ITS GRUESOMENESS MAKES IT ALL THE MORE BEAUTIFUL… BEHOLD, THE PINNACLE OF BOXING TECHNIQUE!! The highly anticipated lightweight championship fight continues! With Yu landing a shocking blow and Jean Pierre knocked down, everyone is left dying to know—can Jean defend his belt, or will Yu win his first world title? Meanwhile, watching this all unfold is Yu's old schoolmate Injae, who is making his own foray into professional boxing. Injae's got the spirit and resolve, but does he have the prowess to win his debut match…?” (Ize Press)
JH's “The Boxer” seemed to be hitting its stride, with Yu finally looking to take his first belt in the professional ring against Pierre. The fight itself culminated in one of the most explosive in the series to this point, despite the one-sided nature. Moreover, it has the former champion, who has been watching on the sidelines the entire time, admit defeat while also choosing to seek a higher purpose beyond the ring. By all accounts, “The Boxer” could have concluded at this point, closing with cheers and Yu knowing he is the greatest fighter to grace the ring. However, JH's skill and ability to inject profundity into any genre he touches, have him throwing a surprise counterpunch to push the story in a drastically different direction.
Notably, the fourth volume teases the rise of other fighters to challenge Yu, with words stating that he is not the actual protagonist of the series but instead that fighter is yet to come. While not entirely unheard of to build up the ‘villain' first, this proves to be a jaw-dropping revelation with how focused the series was on Yu and his growth. The switch to an amateur named Injae, with a unique style due to a visual impairment, would be a drastic shift in less capable hands. Yet, JH infuses as much excitement and action into this new prospect as he did in developing Yu.
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Some aspects of Injae even push him beyond Yu in crafting a story with depth. Injae's struggles are vastly different than Yu's, but the most notable difference is in personality, with the up-and-comer radiating a youthful optimism. Comparatively, JH built up Yu as an unbeatable monster, a warrior for everyone else to measure up against. The amateur's path is vastly different, and there is that foreseeable climb that falls in line with a more traditional structure of the sports genre. Consequently, the excitement of watching Injae grow makes for a welcome shift, adding more content to the legend of Yu in building up a potential rival.
The visuals continue to be sleek and flashy, with the conclusion of the fight between Yu and Jean Pierre being an explosive way to kick off volume 4. However, the major highlight is Injae's first professional fight, which lasts longer than any previous brawls in the series. This allows JH to flex his boxing knowledge and his ability to convey the flow of a fight further than in previous entries. In addition, the more personable and friendly nature of Injae allows JH to focus on more expressive characters beyond the ever-stoic Yu.
“The Boxer” has become one of my favorite series of 2023 and one of the best martial arts comics I have ever read. It is utterly impressive what JH has been able to create with this series. Still, at four volumes, the ability to take a sharp shift in story and still evoke the same sense of excitement proves JH is a profound talent worth following on any of his projects.
