Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man 1

by Kim Young-Oh

Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man represents Dark Horse’s entry in the new world of Korean manhwa (comics), and what an explosive entry it is!

Banya is the story of barren, war-torn world littered with armies of ogres and massive man-eating monsters. Living within this chaos is Banya and his small band of delivery men, who make it a point of being “Fast. Precise. Secure.” Mei is the sassy young girl, whose mouth can get her into as many tough situations as it gets her out of. Kong is the dedicated side-kick, always trying to impress. There is no package they won’t take, no message that can’t be sent, as long as payment is made up front.

The first chapter introduces us to Banya, and it is one of the best intro to a comic we’ve seen in a while. As humans and the mutant-like Torren engage in an epic battle, (some great full-color pages of battle open the chapter), a single figure hops, skips, and hacks his way to the human leader. But he is not an assassin – this is Banya, delivering a properly paid-for message to the general, enemy axes and arrows be damned.

The heart of the story is about an exhausted messenger who chances upon the postal carriers. He is being followed, and the small group of messengers must figure out how to help the dying man and get his package delivered, and at the same time avoid be killed by the ruffians following him. Mei and Kong use their guile to distract the bad guys as Banya gets a head-start, but losing his camel to a gwichi (essentially an over-sized sarlaac) is going to make staying far ahead difficult…

Good story-telling is good story-telling, whether it’s from Japan, Korea, or anywhere. Banya is a dynamic tale where the world the delivery men live in is really the main character. From mountains to forests to deserts, we see a variety of terrain as well as a range of unusual creatures that inhabit this strange land. What is unique and interesting about this first volume of Banya is how the small group of postal workers don’t seem to be effected by the wars and danger so close to them. They seem to live only to deliver the packages of paying customers, and to be unable to do so would be the epitome of failure.

The dialogue in Banya is certainly written with a sly, and sometimes snide, sense of wit. In some places this sense of humor is successful, and in others a little more immature than the mood should allow. The members of the post office appear very young, and their comments reflect this a little too directly at times. The most memorable scenes, in fact, are dialogue-free.

The frames without word balloons allow you to really see the superb art and composition of Banya. The bonus color pages, rich details and epic full page shots make Banya a sandy feast for the eyes. Once you devour the story, you’ll want to go through again and soak in the rich details of the landscapes and creatures. Kim’s artwork is stunning.

Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man is an exciting new series that pulls the reader in, literally from page 1. The occasion groaners in the dialogue are quickly forgotten after the bloody swing of a sword or bizarre monster attack. Even for a fantasy-type title, Banya is very accessible. It is directed less at fantasy fans, and more at those that like intense action and a fierce story. Banya 2 is released on December 20.