Oddly original. Today’s 28 Days of Comics letter is “O,” and as we all know “O” is for . . . manga? Apparently the answer is yes, as today’s offerings are almost 85% wonderful eastern hemisphere comic awesome. Now granted, there are a smattering of non-manga titles sprinkled throughout like Outsiders and the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z. But overall, it’s manga that dominates the day.

Now what does that mean to you? Well if you’re a fan of Toru Yamazaki’s Octopus Girl–and the absurd, cringe inducing horror that lies therein–you’re in luck. Similarly, if you wish you had a deity for a girlfriend, today’s the day to load up on Oh My Goddess!. But for me, there’s one title that dominates today’s offerings–the incomparable action manga classic Old Boy.

For those of you not yet familiar with what rightly deserves to be labeled a classic, you’re in for a great (albeit very disturbing) treat. I very much enjoyed this brutal tale of imprisonment, intrigue, personal failings, and revenge. The manga by Tsuchiya and Minegishi–phenomenal. The original film adaptation (Chan-wook Park’s 2003 version) was gripping and gorgeously filmed. The rumored American remake . . . well two out of three ain’t bad.

Now let’s step back a few sentences and revisit a term you definitely will want to key in on before reading this tale. Disturbing. Old Boy, as gripping and exciting a read as it may be, is a very violent and twisted tale touching on a great many topics that are not only edgy but downright taboo. In short, this is without question in no way, shape, or form suitable for children. Furthermore, if you’re the squeamish sort and bothered by violence, brutality, torture and/or a myriad of other vices, give this one a miss. But for those of you who like your tales with a dash of raw and edgy, sprinkled over a foundation reminiscent of The Count of Monte Cristo circa ’40s film noir, and cooked in a meth lab explosion, then this is a tale for you.

Check it out and let us know what you think. This is one of those tales where some people argue the film was better than the series that inspired it. If you’ve read and/or seen these iterations, weigh in here with your opinion.

And come back tomorrow for the letter “P”. Painkiller Jane, Punisher, and the Bendis penned crowd favorite - Powers! And if those don’t happen to scratch your itch, we’ve got hundreds of other great titles waiting in the wings and ready to rush the show!

Author : Andrew@TFAW