The Innocent is a supernatural manga about a man who comes back from the dead to get revenge. Published by Yen Press, this manga was created by Avi Arad with the script by Junichi Fujisaku and the art by Yasung Ko.
The Innocent, Manga by Avi Arad, Junichi Fujisaku, and Yasung Ko
Johnny is found guilty of a crime he did not commit and thrown in the electric chair, but this former detective is given a second chance. A young woman named Angel tells Johnny that he must use his new supernatural abilities to save other innocents before they suffer the same fate in order to get his life back. But Johnny took a lot of baggage with him into the afterlife, and he cares more about getting revenge on the people that stole his life away than doing anything else he was told.
Stories of lost souls doing good deeds to get their lives back aren't exactly new, but the dark, creepy feel of this manga gives it an instant appeal. Johnny uses his new abilities, turning his whole body to ash, to fight murderers, psychopaths, and the mob, supposedly to prove the innocence of a young man named Joshua. Of course, all Johnny cares about is revenge - it just happens that Joshua was framed by the same people that framed him, and it's dark twist that initially pulls you in.
Unfortunately, it doesn't take this manga long to disappoint. The story begins in a rush: Johnny dies, he meets Angel, they jump down to Earth to save people. No questions are asked, though some explanations definitely would have been useful. The Innocent continues at the same rapid pace, introducing readers to allies and adversaries too quickly to understand who
The biggest problem with The Innocent is how it feels like we're missing the beginning of the story. Pretty much every character has a big backstory that led up to the plot of this manga, but all of it is quickly glossed over. Johnny and Rain's relationship is barely understood - she was his lawyer, but was she his lover, too? - and the problem with Angel's last case and her wings is mentioned, but never delved into. The whole reasoning behind the story, and the characters' motivations, is absent, leaving the whole thing feeling shallow.
Yasung Ko's art is one of the highlights of The Innocent. The lines are clean and panels are easy to follow. The character expressions are subtle and clear, so that even with his calm demeanor you can instantly tell who the bloodthirsty psycho is. Very rarely Ko uses too light of a hand with her lines, making the page much paler than it seems it should be, but for the vast majority of the time the artist uses a good balance of dark and light tones.
The Innocent from Yen Press
With it's interesting premise and fine art, it's a disappointment how dull The Innocent winds up being. The manga definitely could have benefited from a slower pace, or even a chapter or two tacked on to the beginning to give readers a better understanding of this world and the characters' lives. As it stands, The Innocent moves too quickly, and lacks too much depth, so while it's not mind-numbingly awful it's simply not worth a purchase.
The Innocent gets 2/5.
- ISBN: 9780316201032
- MSRP: $11.99
- Yen Press
- Released November 22, 2011
- 224 pages
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