Welcome to the fifth edition of Team Venom’s Greatest Graphic Novel Guide. For today’s spotlight I’m going to be talking about an obscure Manga title, Redmoon.

Published: Originally 1988, translated to English in 2001

Original Format: Redmoon Vol. 1

Writer and Artist: Mina Hwang

Overview: Redmoon tells the tale of a seemingly ordinary school boy, Philar, who one day gets viciously attacked by gang members which awakens a supernatural force within him.

Philar is a reluctant protagonist who starts to uncover incredible details about his past and the powers that lie within and discovers that he’s secretly been the vessel for the “Sun” of an alien world, Signus, and that he is also their rightful ruler.

What starts in this volume and spans another 5 books is a story of heartbreak, sadness and revenge as those from Philar’s past life seek to guide, control or kill him following his “awakening”.

Influence In Other Media: Back in 2001, Redmoon was a surprisingly popular online game – the CD of which was included with the first volume.

Our Verdict:

Rory Bailey “I’d never really been a fan of Manga until I happened upon all six volumes of this title in a book shop in Amsterdam, some 12 years ago. The story instantly had me gripped and led me to attempt to get into other Mangas but sadly nothing came remotely close to this classic. It’s something that’s genuinely tear-inducing as the original 80s run was over fifteen volumes but the English translations stopped at volume 6. Even with the growth of the internet I’ve still been waiting to see what happens in those extra nine damn volumes…. Anyway, ratings time! This is an easy 8/10 from me.”