The 2010 historical fiction comic book series Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender by Onrie Kompan and Giovanni Timpano enters its penultimate showdown.

After suffering a defeat at the hands of the invading Samurai, Korean Navy admiral Yi Soon Shin faces rebellion from the other naval officers. Not only are they squabbling with him, but many face personal troubles. Realizing his old friend Baron Seo has betrayed him, he makes a desperate gamble as the Battle of Sacheon approaches.

This ones pick up right after issue 2 and it thrusts you right into the drama. While all of the issues have had a lot of gore, this one definitely ramps it up, but it does not glorify it, just shows the reality of war. It is not pretty and you could get a sense of it.

I was very impressed with how this comic book series has balanced the very real history with some of the fictional personal tales that are woven in. This one definitely had me hooked to it and I was pulled into the exciting battle between Yi Soon Shin and the Samurai.

It takes a portion of history that is not well known in the West and truly fleshes it out. You cheer for Yi Soon Shin and are stunned by the brutality this war has on both Korea and Japan. One final note, the artwork in this issue, especially with the sea battles only pulled me into the tale further. It was very well drawn.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or anime you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of All Eyes On Ashley and issue 1 of Yaira. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

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