The Bottom Line
There's certainly no shortage of books calling themselves manga versions of the Bible nowadays – and technically, this is a Korean manhwa version. So while the artwork is crude and the storytelling often irreverent, Manga Bible Volume 1 does manage to convey the basic lessons and spiritual principles of the original Biblical stories in an easy-to-digest, entertaining graphic novel format. It's a version that will entertain young readers who are interested in Christian literature, but will probably bore secular readers who are seeking great manga art and pure entertainment.
Pros
- Simple, humorous versions of classic Bible stories that are easy to read and understand
- Conveys the basic lessons of Biblical fables with a contemporary voice and modern examples
- Generally true to the spirit of manga-style art and storytelling
Cons
- Artwork is somewhat crude and amateurish in several spots
- Artist inserts himself into the story in comical, sometimes strange cameos
- Unlike most versions of the Bible, most characters look Asian, which is a little odd
- Some sound effects are left in original Korean characters without translation
Description
- Artist: Jung Sun Hwang
Author (script): Young Shin Lee
Editor: Bud Rogers - Publishers: Zondervan (US)
- ISBN: 978-0-310-71287-9
- Cover Price: $9.99 US / $12.50 CANADA / £4.99 UK
- Age Rating:
Not rated, but includes some mild violence
More about content ratings. - Manga Genres:
- Korean Manhwa
- Kodomo (Children's) Manga
- Historical
- Religious / Spiritual
- US Publication Date: August 2007
- Book Description: 224 pages, black and white illustrations
Guide Review - Manga Bible Volume 1: Names, Games and the Long Road Trip
Telling Bible stories with pictures to appeal to younger readers is nothing new. I remember reading illustrated Bible stories in my local dentist's office. Jack Chick has been spreading the Christian gospels in his pocket-sized Chick Tract cartoon pamphlets for years. But lately, the buzz in the mainstream publishing world is all about the explosive growth and popularity of manga, so it's little wonder that we're seeing several versions of so-called manga-style Bible stories pop up in bookstores lately.
Zondervan's Manga Bible series of books is technically not Japanese manga, but is by Korean manhwa creators Young Shin Lee and Jung Sun Hwang. On one hand, it's fairly faithful to the manga/manhwa tradition of graphic storytelling. It manages to convey the basic spiritual lessons and general plot of stories like Creation and Exodus in broad, easy-to-understand strokes. On the other hand, the artwork is somewhat crude and uneven, and won't likely impress any connoisseurs of great manga artwork. It's also a little odd to see Adam and Eve drawn as a Korean couple.
Compared to the more teen-skewed The Manga Bible by Siku, Lee and Hwang's version of the Bible is aimed at younger readers. Therefore, it's much more light-hearted and irreverent in tone. Artist Hwang inserts lots of jokes that kids can appreciate to make these tales fun to read. You can even sense this contemporary tone in the subtitle, as it refers to Genesis and Exodus as "names, games and the long road trip."
While it succeeds in making Bible stories fun and easy to digest, Lee and Hwang's Manga Bible is probably only of interest to younger readers who are already interested in Christianity. Older and secular readers will probably find it simplistic and somewhat amateurish at best.
