Disclaimer: ARC via Netgalley
Well, JR Comics does it again.
I don’t know whose idea it was to publish Wei Dong Chen and Co’s work here in America, but whoever it was; I hope they get a raise.
This is another excellent comic adaption of a masterpiece of Chinese literature to add to the stable with The Three Kingdoms and The Monkey King. I am not familiar with the story, so I can’t speak to the fidelity, but considering the fidelity of Three Kingdoms comics by the same author, it most likely is exact.
Outlaws of the Marsh begins with a kingdom in crises, a dynasty failing, and corruption and disorder overwhelming society. This first volume focuses on three men – Jin Wang, Jin Shi, and Da Lu. Each man is representative or influence by the forces of the dying kingdom, whether it is Jin Wang who must flee because of an enemy’s raise to power, Jin Shi who finds more nobility in thieves than those of his class, or Da Lu, a major who stands upon against injustice, but in the wrong way.
In fact, Da Lu is most likely, an ancestor of Portos – one who likes his meat and brew far more than the Frenchman.
And if that isn’t enough of a reason to try this story, how about Jin Shi whose nickname is Nine Dragons. He has some lovely tattoos on his chest.
There is a tad bit more humor in this story than in Romance of the Three Kingdoms - some it occurs when Jin Shi and Jin Wang meet. There also is a little more cultural emphasis, with just a tad more darkness/supernatural thrown in.
This first volume seems to be setting the stage for future adventures. While the characters lack the super powers of many run of the mill superheroes (Avengers, Superman, Wonder Woman), they are far more attractive because their battles are far more human, not only emotionally but on scale. It is not only a physically battle, but mental and spiritual. Everything gets the same weight, something that doesn’t occur in many art forms anymore.
One of the strong points of the Three Kingdom series were the historical notes attached to the graphic novel. Here the historical notes are not as in depth, but this is compensated by more in depth discussions of symbolism and character development. These sections are not lecturing in tone, and make a nice companion to the story, regardless of the age level of the reader.
JR Comics continues with another series that deserves a place in homes and classrooms.

Crossposted at Booklikes

Excellent graphic adaptation of "Outlaws of the Marsh" (also known as "The Water Margin"), one of the four great novels of Chinese literature. The presentation is lucid and easy to follow, with character sketches and summaries of each chapter, as well as maps showing the movement of the characters. What really shined was the clean full-color illustrations that captured nuance without being busy. Details such as Jin Shi's dragon tattoos and calligraphy on signs in the towns bring the images to life. The action translates extremely well to comic form, yet even the set piece battle between Da Lu and the monks does not overshadow the character presentation. This is a meaningful work of literature, artfully presented, and I am definitely eager to read more.

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley.