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Ronin Island #1
Ronin Island #1
After a mysterious attack wipes out the major cities of 19th century Japan, Korea, and China, survivors from all three lands find refuge on a hidden island and build a new society. Hana, the orphaned daughter of Korean peasants, and Kenichi, son of a great samurai leader, have little in common except for a mutual disdain for the other. But these young warriors will have to work together when an army invades the island with shocking news: there is a new Shogun and the Island is expected to pay fealty in exchange for protection from a new enemy...a mutated horde that threatens to wipe out all humanity. Award-winning writer Greg Pak (Firefly, Mech Cadet Yu) and artist Giannis Milonogiannis (Prophet) present a story that examines how we move forward when our past divides, set against the backdrop of a post-disaster 19th century Japan.
26 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2019
4 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Greg Pak
1,647 books584 followersGreg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 22, 2019
მშვენიერი რამეა. იქით-იქით ვნახოთ როგორ განვითარდება.
March 7, 2019
A really fun and punchy piece of historical fiction that reminds me of shows I grew up watching like Avatar; The Last Airbender and Xiaolin Showdown in feel with art that is right up my ally and two very interesting main characters.
March 7, 2019
The first issue had enough to get me hooked, and an end that has me signed up to get the second issue.
January 16, 2020
I really like the art and premise of the story but the execution feels superficial. It's a good book if you're just in the mood for monsters, samurai, and action. Overall, the plot was rushed and I think we would have benefitted from more background or characterization. You basically have these two protagonists who start out bickering....and end up still bickering. Apart from them coming from different classes/castes, you don't really get a sense of how well they actually know each other, which makes me irritated by them. I'm sure future volumes go into this but I wasn't hooked by this one.
July 20, 2019
Picked this up randomly at one of the Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood. Wasn't expecting much. Nice artwork. Seemed like a fairly predictable setup (spoiled rich boy training to be samurai alongside poor girl training to be samurai---tradition vs merit, old vs new, etc.). But that twist at the end made me want to read more!
July 22, 2020
3.5*
Likeable characters, good banter. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were a kid though. Great artwork.
Likeable characters, good banter. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were a kid though. Great artwork.
March 12, 2019
A bit uneven, but shows the potential to be an entertaining action adventure.
March 16, 2019
Really fun first issue establishing the characters and their grudges, the setting and its history, as well as introducing the threat.
I feel like a lot was covered - not in too much detail - but certainly enough for me to understand what's happening in this new interesting version of Asian history.
The artwork has a fun, cartoony look to it and expresses the story well in each panel.
A good strong start to what will hopefully be a popular series.
I feel like a lot was covered - not in too much detail - but certainly enough for me to understand what's happening in this new interesting version of Asian history.
The artwork has a fun, cartoony look to it and expresses the story well in each panel.
A good strong start to what will hopefully be a popular series.
May 9, 2019
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I asked for a recommendation from my LCBS for something "different" and got this. Did not disappoint. Even though I originally was under-enthused about the art style I found it was done very well and it really worked.
The plot it's setting up is very promising. I read the printed version, fyi. But couldn't find it.
The plot it's setting up is very promising. I read the printed version, fyi. But couldn't find it.
August 26, 2019
This is an interesting start to what looks to be a promising series.
We meet our main characters as they compete on an island they both call home. The islanders are survivors of a mysterious incident and are now under attack again and will need to team up. It's a simple promise that kicks us off in what looks to be an adventure.
We meet our main characters as they compete on an island they both call home. The islanders are survivors of a mysterious incident and are now under attack again and will need to team up. It's a simple promise that kicks us off in what looks to be an adventure.
April 23, 2019
Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more.
Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more. Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more. Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more.
Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more. Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more. Interesting concept. Looking forward to reading more.
June 12, 2019
Not much a fan of the pacing. Too fast, too shallow.
June 28, 2019
Premier volume sympa, parfois le dessin est inégal mais le style du dessinateur est sympathique. L'histoire et les dialogues sont bien écrits. A suivre !
November 11, 2020
Not your typical monster infestation story but I like it so far.
November 15, 2022
Unappealing introduction, it seems there is some zombies involves. Not sure I want to read more about it. Drawings and coloring are nice though.
November 15, 2023
Starts a bit slow, but I think it will be worth sticking with.
December 21, 2023
Ronin Island, Pak
Samurai vs the Great Wind plague/zombie infection. ***
#1 - "Together in strength."
Samurai vs the Great Wind plague/zombie infection. ***
#1 - "Together in strength."
April 13, 2021
There was exactly one reason why I started to read this series. To give this author one last chance. Maybe he is better with completely made-up stuff, albeit the summary for this comic didn't make me feel as if the guy will do anything but the most stereotypical thing. Also, I have the feeling that my historical knowledge of 19th century China and Korea will make this difficult to read.
And looks like I was right. We already start with a pretty well maintained house and samurai (of course) armor. Didn't the description say most of Japan's cities were destroyed and these are the survivors? Even thirty years later, you must have been pretty rich to afford all this when you came to the island. And speaking of said island: That thing is so small, how can it even sustain that village (it can't as we see later)? And how did those people from China, Japan and Korea all ended up here anyway? He seems to have picked this because... well no idea. Why would the Koreans and Japanese sail south to some random small island instead of going north or to the phillipines?
Speaking of Koreans, why is the other main character called "Hana the korean girl?" shouldn't there be other Koreans here? At least the description suggested this.
And why did that idiotic protagonist boy throw on a full samurai armor if his going to have a race with Hana? And this village looks to be in pretty damn good shape for being made by a few survivors. They look expertly built, with stone houses. And seeing all these people, I was wondering whether it is just my ignorance showing or do they all look japanese. Maybe they are Korean, but they look way too high class. But it was clear that almost none here featured is Korean, as we get told that through kenichi they carry on the best traditions of the samurai and lost japan. Of course. And I must ask: when is this great wind supposed to have come? Because Japan was already in Meiji in the 1870s. And why is Hana an "orphan from Korea"? When did they come to this island? Plus, back then I think they would have said "Joseon". And why is japan the great past and "korea" the best of the new world (embodied by a dirty orphan)? And where are the Korean elements that surely should have been there. It is all so Japan centric. The rulers, the buildings, the clothes, the samurai, the hair styles, almost everything distinct points towards japan. And full samurai armor on the boss on the big attacking ship as well. Veeerrrrryyyyy creative. I am really missing the alleged chinese and korean elements from this. In fact, just like with the Korean orphan, we exactly one chinese person here. The elder Jin is chinese. Wasn't sure with that name she has, but apparently she is. And now she says that there are survivors from three lands on the island... except that "China" was an empire back then and saying she is "chinese" means nothing (they didn't refer to themselves as chinese back then). And why is there a Shogun, why not some lord from somewhere else?
Only late in the comic do we get told that the Great Wind was supposed to have been 31 years prio, and if the character Ito was there at the battle he would be at least in his mid 40s by now. He looks much younger. Also, what they speak of samurai here sounds rather like the romanticized version from nationalistic japanese. Typical for Pak, to be honest.
And he calls this series ronin island because these are masterless rebells... ronin are masterless samurai! Or did I miss something? Can rhonin mean something else?
But apparently that consistency is too much for this book as it can't even keep it's own premise consistent. You see, those fields that can be seen earlier in the comic are not on another island, but on the mainland. Based on the premise, I thought this island was somewhere deep in the sea and that earlier Kenichi was saying how much water there was by referring to the mainland. And what mainland? "China"? And now there are "Oni" attacking the farmers there. And wait, the mainland was still quite far away, so how could the farmers see the samurai pointing and how can the islanders see the monsters? What are "Byonin?" And that last page with the assault... yeah might look "cool", except that they cannot keep that up as they are at the beach and need to get on a boat to get to the farmers and they would probably not be able to reach them in time to save anyone.
I did a sneak peek into the next two issues and these are just zombie stories in Japan, some Korean and chinese things strewn in but that is it. It is just as uncreative and shallow as Pak's other stories in "Asia". Some stated this is for fans of the Last Airbender, but this wishes it were that creative. Pak just copied and pasted from better sources here and could do nothing with it. As always. So I did not continue with this series and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
And looks like I was right. We already start with a pretty well maintained house and samurai (of course) armor. Didn't the description say most of Japan's cities were destroyed and these are the survivors? Even thirty years later, you must have been pretty rich to afford all this when you came to the island. And speaking of said island: That thing is so small, how can it even sustain that village (it can't as we see later)? And how did those people from China, Japan and Korea all ended up here anyway? He seems to have picked this because... well no idea. Why would the Koreans and Japanese sail south to some random small island instead of going north or to the phillipines?
Speaking of Koreans, why is the other main character called "Hana the korean girl?" shouldn't there be other Koreans here? At least the description suggested this.
And why did that idiotic protagonist boy throw on a full samurai armor if his going to have a race with Hana? And this village looks to be in pretty damn good shape for being made by a few survivors. They look expertly built, with stone houses. And seeing all these people, I was wondering whether it is just my ignorance showing or do they all look japanese. Maybe they are Korean, but they look way too high class. But it was clear that almost none here featured is Korean, as we get told that through kenichi they carry on the best traditions of the samurai and lost japan. Of course. And I must ask: when is this great wind supposed to have come? Because Japan was already in Meiji in the 1870s. And why is Hana an "orphan from Korea"? When did they come to this island? Plus, back then I think they would have said "Joseon". And why is japan the great past and "korea" the best of the new world (embodied by a dirty orphan)? And where are the Korean elements that surely should have been there. It is all so Japan centric. The rulers, the buildings, the clothes, the samurai, the hair styles, almost everything distinct points towards japan. And full samurai armor on the boss on the big attacking ship as well. Veeerrrrryyyyy creative. I am really missing the alleged chinese and korean elements from this. In fact, just like with the Korean orphan, we exactly one chinese person here. The elder Jin is chinese. Wasn't sure with that name she has, but apparently she is. And now she says that there are survivors from three lands on the island... except that "China" was an empire back then and saying she is "chinese" means nothing (they didn't refer to themselves as chinese back then). And why is there a Shogun, why not some lord from somewhere else?
Only late in the comic do we get told that the Great Wind was supposed to have been 31 years prio, and if the character Ito was there at the battle he would be at least in his mid 40s by now. He looks much younger. Also, what they speak of samurai here sounds rather like the romanticized version from nationalistic japanese. Typical for Pak, to be honest.
And he calls this series ronin island because these are masterless rebells... ronin are masterless samurai! Or did I miss something? Can rhonin mean something else?
But apparently that consistency is too much for this book as it can't even keep it's own premise consistent. You see, those fields that can be seen earlier in the comic are not on another island, but on the mainland. Based on the premise, I thought this island was somewhere deep in the sea and that earlier Kenichi was saying how much water there was by referring to the mainland. And what mainland? "China"? And now there are "Oni" attacking the farmers there. And wait, the mainland was still quite far away, so how could the farmers see the samurai pointing and how can the islanders see the monsters? What are "Byonin?" And that last page with the assault... yeah might look "cool", except that they cannot keep that up as they are at the beach and need to get on a boat to get to the farmers and they would probably not be able to reach them in time to save anyone.
I did a sneak peek into the next two issues and these are just zombie stories in Japan, some Korean and chinese things strewn in but that is it. It is just as uncreative and shallow as Pak's other stories in "Asia". Some stated this is for fans of the Last Airbender, but this wishes it were that creative. Pak just copied and pasted from better sources here and could do nothing with it. As always. So I did not continue with this series and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews