Comics / Manga

Laon Volume 3

By Chris Zimmerman
September 9, 2010 - 12:02

Culling equal parts folklore and supernatural high jinks, Laon tells the story of two seemingly unrelated individuals who meet through happenstance yet both have one thing in common; both have lost something important to them. For the nine tailed fax Laon, it’s his tails which have fled him while the reporter Tae-Ha suffers from partial amnesia due to a mysterious accident involving a lover. When they both meet, they see in each other the opportunity to get back what was once lost.

Volume 3 picks up with Laon continuing to pursue it’s tails, pickin gone up as it attempts to seduce Tae-Ha. Meanwhile, it appears that at least one or more of Laon’s tails are working toward something that spells trouble for the intrepid duo. If those two sentences were any indicator, this is a very surreal series, incorporating mystery, suspense, folklore, and action for a read that is as intriguing as it is disturbing. Laon’s personality is in complete contrast to Tae-Ha’s own. Laon is a bit daft to say the least while Tae-Ha plays the straight man, taking all the paranormal activity surrounding him in stride.

The artwork features a mix of the manwha style and horror inspired elements that add to the overall tone of the work. Unlike most works of the medium, there is nary a blank background in sight, with most pages either jammed with panels or city landscapes. Also typical of the Manwha style, every character is given a different look and is easily distinguishable from one another.

Laon doesn’t fall into any one classification. While it remains firmly steeped in the paranormal, it can just as easily switch to horror or action. While some might find this to be jarring, the fact that the series can branch into so many genres adds to its appeal, keeping the audience guessing while it continues to tell a unique story.

Rating: 9 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12