Utopia's Avenger by Oh Se-kwon

Se-kwon, Oh. Utopia's Avenger. TokyoPop, 2006.

Gildong and Danu are bounty hunters who happen upon a violent scene, intervene, save a scantily-clad girl through inventive and magical martial arts and decide to ransom her to her father. Little do they know that their actions will draw the ire of the The Bright White Killers. The thin plot winds through various violent episodes, later revealing that Gildong ages in reverse and is the master of an ancient form of martial arts. He and Danu are on a mission to overthrow the evil Red Dragon Kings and restore the utopian Yulda to its previous state.

I chose this manga title because it was one of the few selections our library had that didn't read "backwards." I tried another one, but not only was the right to left confusing, but the movement within each page was insurmountable. Coupled with the frenetic drawing style of manga was too much system overload.

Utopia's Avenger is neither terrible or great. The story is weak and fairly predictable. The bad guys are really evil, the good guys humorous and sarcastic, the girls buxom and hardly clothed. The big "reveal" is alluded to so many times from the beginning of the novel that when it finally comes, it is no surprise. I also found the drawings confusing and a distraction at times. The movement, as indicated by swooping lines, permeated the action scenes, which went on for several frames without dialog. This was tedious and did not feel like "reading."

Recommendations:
Shaman warrior by Park Joong-Ki
Fans of Korean manga (manhwa) will enjoy this series that includes a master warrior and his apprentice as they battle political rivals. A cleaner drawing style avoids some of the confusion of Utopia's Avenger.

There Will be Dragons by John Ringo
When their utopian society collapses, all hope is on Edmund Talbot to restore The Net. While not a graphic novel, readers who enjoyed this theme in Utopia's Avenger will find it in a more well-developed form here.

The Art of Expressing the Human Body by Bruce Lee
Readers intrigued by martial arts may find Lee's physical conditioning and philosophical tome interesting in this classic that changed martial arts forever.

Draw Manga: How to Draw Manga in Your Own Unique Style by Bruce Lewis

If you are interested in trying your hand at manga drawing, this guide might interest you.