Humans live in fear every day because of dangerous creatures known as “ghouls” who roam their land. In order to protect themselves, they band together in villages and send out only the strongest to fight the monsters. For a mere human, the chances of surviving an encounter are slim. But not so for a special group of warriors called the “Warden”. Recognized for their power and strength, they are able to "devour the souls of the foes they slay" and "defeat death itself".
Enter the main protagonist Tyrnar. He is a traveling Warden who has no qualms fighting ghouls for the townsfolk. Though he seeks food and shelter as compensation for his efforts. One day, he happens upon a village in desperate need of a Warden. They task him with the mission to rid their land of the monsters and investigate the disappearance of a witch who was also fighting the creatures. Thus, leading Tyrnar on an epic quest to find the missing witch and destroy the ghouls.
“Warden” Story & Art by Guillem Dauden
Notice: The purposes of the following review are meant to be honest and critical. My desire is to give positive and helpful feedback for the sake of the creator. Their passion, hard work, and creativity are always important to convey in any review.
First Impressions
My first exposure to the comic “Warden” happened to be through Twitter. I was very impressed with the artwork as it appears to be professionally drawn and influenced by the works of mangaka Akira Toriyama and Boichi. As of writing this review, the comic currently has 6 chapters and was published in 2020. It has garnered over 50,000 views, 3000+ subscribers, and has a 9.92 rating on Webtoon.
Review
Just as the story explains, the creatures who inhabit the land are terrible beings. Their design is almost alien and insect-like which I like. Very creepy looking indeed! I find their voracious appetite for flesh and their quick movements interesting. I also think their ability to evolve into something bigger and even more menacing is a good trait to have for strong villains.
The background art is well drawn and you very much feel submerged in the world. I enjoyed seeing what was happening around the characters as it enhanced my understanding of the world. The villages are designed with fantasy-like architecture (think medieval with a touch of Japanese) and there are hulking trees in the forest. I appreciate all of the small details!
Regarding the panels themself, I did notice a preference for using a lot of speed lines but it did not distract me from enjoying the story. This was only something I noticed after re-reading it. The action scenes were epic and satisfying. I loved the dynamic poses and the perspectives. The impact of the characters’ punches and the hits was spot on to how great manga should look.
The side characters are good for their purpose of leading the reader through the story and adding some drama. The village elder was a reasonable figure though I think he should have made a bigger attempt to apologize for the way his son and his gang mistreated and attacked Tyrnar. If I was Tyrnar and all I wanted was food and shelter, I would have turned my nose up and left the village. Don’t bite the hand that offers you help!
Bardason is clearly meant to be a jackass. Loud, pushy, and belittling. I don’t mind that aspect. But I think it would have been more interesting to see him emotionally provoking Tyrnar into fighting instead of attacking and cornering him for no reason. Bardason has dealt with the creatures before, has suffered many casualties, and would think little of Tyrnar for his own attempts. Instead of acting like a fool in front of everyone, it would have been cool to see this character provoke Tyrnar in a more subtle way. For example, Bardason says to Tyrnar, “Whoever trained you must be a fool. Look at you, they let you starve and travel around like a homeless mutt.” That could have angered Tyrnar into fighting.
If this character is only meant to appear once in the story, I think his current role is fine but if the creator plans on using him in a bigger way, I would definitely like to see more serious thinking. Otherwise, the character would come across as a one-dimensional bully and readers will not care for him.
Lynneth the little girl seems to be very sweet. I enjoyed her positive presence to balance out the negative crowd. I think her role is good.
Cota, was a good supporting character although I had a couple of issues with him. His personality changed after Chapter 2. He went from being very afraid of the creatures and pleading for his life, to provoking the creatures and acting like a “tough guy” in the next chapter. Unless Tyrnar asks him to purposely anger the monsters, I don’t see why he would want to enrage the monsters. Does the writer want him to be a coward or a man-child with a “big ego”? (You can certainly have a character possess both traits just like the character Usopp from One Piece) But whatever it is, his behavior should be consistent throughout the scene. I had no complaints when he mustered up enough courage to save Tyrnar. That aspect was good.
The other issue that I had with Cota was that he seemed to have developed a very close dynamic with Tyrnar even though they had just met. The character himself acknowledges that he hasn’t known Tyrnar for long, but when we see Cota high-fiving Tyrnar as if they are good friends, it doesn’t make sense. When did they become so close?
Tyrnar I thought was a decent main character. A hero who doesn’t mind helping out those in need and will step in when someone needs to be saved. I appreciate that the artist made the main character realistic in terms of power. They did not make him overpowered. The fact that there are strengths and weaknesses to his fighting technique is important to show in order to explain to the reader how the power system works. (It was nice of Guillem to provide an extra bonus page to explain how Tyrnar’s powers work in detail) The idea of the “Soul Rush” and the “Super Soul Rush” along with the Arcane Rune Symbol is super cool.
The only thing I had wished to see in Tyrnar was his drive or personal goal. At the beginning of a series, it is okay to not know much about the hero. We don’t need to see his backstory or have someone explain his past. We just need to see his motive. A reason to be invested in this character other than for his heroic traits. We know he is fighting the ghouls because he wants to get paid for it (which is not necessarily heroic) but why does he go so far for others? Why is he trying so hard to save Cota? Is it because he never wants to lose another friend? Is it because Cota is his very first friend and he does not want to lose him? Or is it because of a personal motto such as “No one gets left behind” or “Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the power they are graced with”? I would love to deepen my sense of attachment to the main character by hearing why he tries so hard.
Rating
After reading and analyzing this comic, I wouldn’t give Warden as high of a rating as a successful Shonen Jump Series (Which in my book is anywhere from a 9 to a 10) but I would give it a rating right below that
8 out of 10 (Good)
In Summary
Warden was a fun read and I am very impressed with the artwork. The story concept itself is unique and interesting. I think what can be improved upon is the characters themselves and having a more inspiring hero. Considering how artistically talented Guillem is and the fact that he is a decent writer, I believe he is ready to be serialized by a manga publisher or to publish his own book with the help of an editor. As for me, I will definitely be following the creator Guillem on his path to becoming a successful mangaka!
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I hope you enjoyed my review!
You can find Guillem on social media! Be sure to check out Warden and leave him a nice comment! --JR Sketcher
https://www.instagram.com/kenji_893/?hl=en
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