Manga Mavericks

“What if a Peking Opera actress became a Superhero?” That question is both the inspiration and premise of Chang Sheng’s Taiwanese manga Yan, a series which pays homage to a variety of influences including the Peking Opera, martial arts movies, spy thrillers, revenge flicks, and sci-fi manga of all kinds of premises. Centering on Yan Tien Hua, a former teenage Peking Opera performer who resurfaces after 30 years to get revenge on those who wronged her, what starts as a seemingly straightforward revenge story a la Kill Bill soon takes twists and turns with layers of different supernatural and sci-fi concepts and premises added on top, making for a thoroughly unpredictable thrill ride as we follow Yan and her allies in their efforts to uncover the truth behind a conspiracy of potentially world-ending consequences. Lum and VLord discuss Yan’s unique blend of influences, how it balances escalating the stakes of the story without losing its core narrative focus, Chang Sheng’s gorgeously detailed artwork and cinemat