The new one comic terrorist from ABLAZE offers an interesting perspective on the extremely dark theme of terrorism. This is certainly not the first work to do this, with anime like MAPPA’s Terror in Resonance also dealing with this heavy topic. But what makes this manga by Dongwoo Han and Jinho Ko is how ridiculously they tackle the subject and the delightful chaos that ensues.
Terror Man focuses on Jungwoo Min, a shy boy who has the ability to see misfortune before it happens. One day, while shopping at a mall, he sees that the building is about to collapse and plays a terrorist to evacuate the building. After taking credit for destroying the building, he became an enemy of the public and went on to credit more destructive events to save lives while not disclosing his abilities. This puts him in the crossfire of a powerful organization that funds these acts of mass violence and forces him to come out of his shell.
Terror Man puts an interesting twist on terrorism
The premise is a bit ridiculous and not really suitable for close inspection, but it makes for a very interesting story as Jungwoo has to hide his identity from the forces trying to track him down. This makes for an interesting twist to the classic dual identity metaphor found in many superhero novels. In fact, the story feels a lot like a superhero story even though its protagonist is seen as a villain. Jungwoo even went through an arc to train his strength and fighting ability just like heroes from superhero comics like My Hero Academia. Unfortunately, aside from bringing fun to this story genre, Terror Man doesn’t really offer anything more profound.
This is a shame because of how controversial its subject matter can be. Terrorist attacks are a terrifying dark reality in the modern world, but Terror Man often treats the subject as a joke. This makes for some hilarious moments of black humor, but it can also cause anxiety or disrupt immersion for some readers. This lack of depth in this regard also applies to many other installments of the series, with its characters often having only one pitch and its plot often relying on conformity. However, many of these issues may stem from the fact that the story is still in its early stages and could be improved upon in future episodes.
Terror Man is an enjoyable ride despite its flaws
Despite its flaws, Terror Man is still an enjoyable read for those looking for a fun and easy read. Not every story needs to address the darkest aspects of real-world tragedies like other popular series like Oshi no Ko. It can sometimes be fun to just revel in the milder aspects of controversial issues, which new comic terrorist perfectly illustrated.
Terrorist Episode 1 will be available for purchase from ABLAZE on June 27.