Pang, The Wandering Shaolin Monk, Vol. 1: Refuge Of The Heart - Hardcover

Ben Costa

  • 3.89 out of 5 stars
    65 ratings by Goodreads
 
9780984501304: Pang, The Wandering Shaolin Monk, Vol. 1: Refuge Of The Heart
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 0984501304 ISBN 13: 9780984501304
Publisher: Iron Crotch University Press, 2010

Synopsis

The year is 1675. Caught up in a conflict he barely understands, a portly Buddhist warrior monk named Shi Long Pang sets out to find his brothers after the destruction of their temple at the hands of the Qing dynasty. Now, the fate of his order might rest squarely on the crown of his perfectly spherical head. But life outside the temple won't be easy for a wandering Shaolin monk--not with all the spies, corrupt officials, and pretty girls lurking around every corner...

One part historical fiction, one part kung fu action adventure comedy drama, Pang, The Wandering Shaolin Monk--winner of the 2009 Xeric Award--explores the history and legend of the Shaolin Temple's murky past, while adding much needed depth to the kung fu genre.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author

Ben Costa is a Xeric Award-winning cartoonist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was born in 1984.

Reviews

The title sums up this Xeric Grant–winning webcomic featuring the titular monk, who inhabits panels of cartoon-gritty art that suggest Usagi Yojimbo if illustrated by Art Spiegelman. The sizable hump here is pages and pages of historical exposition packed into word balloons so dense they nearly crowd the story right off the page. This lack of economy, though a testament to the author’s copious research, could prove disastrous, but those willing to skim the opening can dive right into a spectacular sequence detailing the attack and burning of the Shaolin Temple by the Kanxi Emperor’s forces and the harrowing escape of Pàng, who finds himself on a quest for the remnants of his brotherhood, in the care of a beautiful inn attendant, and confronting an army captain for the return of a sacred book. Pàng himself is a charmingly human character often filled with doubt, pictured as a cross between a plump Buddha and a smiley face, and the astonishingly animated action sequences are unrivaled for capturing the distinctive grace and fluidity of Shaolin martial arts. Grades 8-12. --Jesse Karp

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Iron Crotch University Press
Publication date
2010
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0984501304
ISBN 13 
9780984501304
Binding
Hardcover
Edition number
1
Number of pages
192
Rating
  • 3.89 out of 5 stars
    65 ratings by Goodreads