Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender – A Review

When I lived in Korea, I came to greatly respect one of Korea’s greatest warriors: Yi Soon Shin.  I always had to stop at the statue near the Kyobo bookstore when I visited Seoul.

Now, because of this graphic novel, many more will learn of this historic Korean Admiral and how he helped Korea when the country needed him most.

He is a Korean hero, and justly so.  Check out this review I wrote for the graphic novel and then check out the book from amazon.  If you like graphic novels and Korean history, you can’t go wrong.

The graphic novel Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender by Kompan, Timpano, De Los Santos, Saavedra, and Kraft is an outstanding adult comic based on the true story of Admiral Yi Soon Shin, a Korean naval commander of the fifteen hundreds.  The artwork is fantastic, and the story draws you in and makes you feel for the characters without sacrificing much in the way of historic accuracy.  It’s a story based on true events, not an actual historic comic, nor is is just a comic adaptation of the Korean television series about the famous admiral.  This is its own engaging story based on historic figures and events.

I remember, years ago, when Onrie Kompan contacted me about a short article I’d written about Admiral Yi, who I studied about and gained great respect for when living and training in South Korea.  I provided the little I could to Kompan, and he went on to do much more research on Yi Soon Shin and he put together an accomplished team to bring his vision to life.  And that vision was a series of comics about Korea’s legendary Admiral.  I’d read the first four comics as they came out, but having them together in this hardbound volume is so much nicer.  Also included is a Foreword by comics legend Stan Lee, and extras in the back which include the story of Kompan’s journey to this point, including the disappointments, financial trouble, and difficulties searching for his team.  All the trials and tribulations paid off with this outstanding graphic novel.

You really must see it, and read it too appreciate the work that went into this project.  And all of those involved should be very proud of the finished work.  It is especially meaningful to me because of my interest and respect for Admiral Yi Soon Shin.  So not only did I enjoy the engaging story and marvel at the detailed artwork, it was comforting because I’m already familiar with the characters and settings.  But don’t worry, if you know nothing about this Korean hero, you will still enjoy this tale about the Warrior and Defender.

As I said, this book contains the first four comics, and it is my understanding that there will be eight more to complete the entire story the team plans to tell.  That means there will be two more of these hardcover volumes as well.  I’ll tell you one thing, I can’t wait to see where this remarkable teams takes the story next. I’ll pick up the comics, but I really can’t wait for the other hardcovers.  If you like graphic novels, Korean history, action tales based on true events, or all of the above, I highly recommend Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender.  It is absolutely outstanding for the genre!

Admiral Yi Soon Shin

Seoul, South Korea