‘A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special 1’ Comic Book Review
This manwha was released in 2022
From D&C Webtoon Biz comes the fantasy manhwa comic A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special. It is written by a Korean author known as Usonan and an artist known as Wookjakga.
According to the description,
“Shadow Realms have ravaged the earth and decimated almost everyone in their way. The survival of humanity hinges upon the success of just six mages, including analytic fighter Desir Herrman. The remaining heroes make one final stand to end the bloodshed…but to no avail. Desir closes his eyes on what should be the end of his life—only to open them and see the beginning of his school days?! Desir has returned thirteen years back to the past, where he’s been given another chance. A chance to see the loved ones he lost, a chance to meet his fellow warriors again, and a chance to save the world!”
Manhwa are Korean comic books making their way to the United States. While I have only read a few so far, I have had varying results. With this one, I had a good time reading it.
While it is unclear why or how Desir was sent back, he seems determined to rewrite the end and save his friends. He is a character you could root for as he goes to a magic school where the elites are given preferential treatment over the commoners, like our protagonist. It does this in a shallow way as his inner monologue explains how these decisions, promoting lineage over talent, are what led to humanity’s destruction. It was good and subtle commentary, not like what you see in modern American comics, where they give you long boring monologues or literal classroom scenes.
It keeps you on the edge of your seat as Desir’s goals are clear and his options are limited from where he is, but it is exciting, intriguing, and interesting. It does have a few gaps to fill in as far as the lore goes, but I have a feeling more will be revealed as the story progresses.
The artwork is very well done. There is a scene where Desir has to take a magical aptitude test and is up against a very powerful student. This sequence is done incredibly, and it sets the tone for the rest of the story in a big way. If you are a reader of fantasy fiction, it is definitely worth grabbing a copy.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, novel, movie, or anime you would like me to review.