King of Justice (Volume 2)
Summary
King of Justice #2 is the second issue of Andrew Rowland’s epic Christian manga. Taking place immediately after the first issue, this volume dives into the backstory of Melchizedek’s archnemesis in the making as well as establishes some set up for Elohim’s champion of justice himself.
Assessment
King of Justice #2 carries the came fun manga style and energy from the first volume. A bit more heavy on the exposition side, volume two manages to keep its art style consistent, but show off a bit more expression and humor from the characters.
This volume expands on exactly who Melchizedek’s archnemesis is going to be as well as doing a little set up for Melchizedek himself. Despite being less action-packed than the previous volume, the story is still engaging, taking time so show off the characters’ humor — as well as some flaws — and worldbuild.
Light-o-Meter
Artwork: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Writing: 4 out of 7 Little Lights
Theological Message: 4 out of 7 Little Lights (5 out of 7 possible)
Overall: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
My first thought immediately after finishing a volume of King of Justice is “where is the next one???” As a huge manga fan, this series scratches an itch for Christian storytelling in this medium perfectly. The art style is clean, but the character proportions and expressions are spot-on for the manga/anime influences. I can see a lot of different series in some of the characters and storytelling elements, which I very much enjoy. There are also quite a few little manga/anime tropes in there, particularly in the humor — character expressions, story beats, etc. — that a lot of American mangaka (manga artists) completely and totally miss. This series feels so much like a true manga, it’s fantastic!!
I think my one nitpick is I wish there was a little more explanation from the writer outside the comic about what exactly Elohim is. This is a super fantastical story set in another universe and sometimes in Christian fiction those have the same God as real life, but sometimes they have a God stand-in with slightly different rules and ways of operation. I think it’s the latter, given a few references the artist has made in other places to Elohim as being a deity. If that’s the case, then we are golden! If Elohim is supposed to be the real life God, then there is a slight element of “God as the All-Powerful Buddy”, which does not have to be inherently disrespectful in certain contexts, but is incredibly casual.
Regardless, I am loving the foundation of Elohim’s actions and reactions as well as those of people he has directed. A lot of it feels like it’s inspiration comes directly from the Bible. For example, the set up for Melchizedek’s nemesis reminded me quite a bit of Elijah versus the priests of Baal in 1 Kings 18:20-40. The priests were all confident in their god (in the case of this manga, the scientists were all confident in their creation) and, through Elijah, God met them on their terms and then displayed His sovereignty in a breathtaking display of His power. Not saying this is necessarily how King of Justice is going to go, but there’s a dynamic in the comic book that echoes the 1 Kings event pretty clearly in messaging and tone. It’s also a fantastically written display human pride and arrogance against its Creator, which is not something that is often depicted, even in Christian media. I think the King of Justice series is setting itself up to be quite a wonderful ride for the Christian!
Wrap-up
King of Justice #2 is the next issue in Andrew Rowland’s Christian manga series. In this volume, the series takes some time to show off Melchizedek's archnemesis and set Elohim’s champion off on his quest for training!
Where to Enjoy
GlobalComix: https://globalcomix.com/c/king-of-justice-1
XP Comics Website: XP Comics
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