The action-packed WEBTOON series unOrdinary by uru-chan, with 5.9 million subscribers, is in print for the first time. The story follows John, an audacious teen without abilities, as he navigates the brutality of attending a high school where everyone else has a superpower.
"In this world, strength defines a person... and those without strength are crushed." John hoped that Wellston Private High School would be different from the rest of the world, but instead he's known as "the school zero" and attacked by those with power. Yet John doesn't abide the established "hierarchy." He fights back, defends bullied students, and speaks casually to "high-tiers," especially those he finds "a disgrace to society." John believes that powers should be used to bring peace; his father wrote unOrdinary, a banned book about a vigilante defending zeroes, that has inspired likeminded heroism. Now, these self-proclaimed superheroes are being murdered, and a fearful public wishes vigilantes would stop causing trouble.
John upholds values few others dare to consider: that even the weak hold greatness, and that strength does not mean superiority. His relentless grit, which lands him in disaster, is painfully addicting to witness. Uru-chan carefully balances action and stillness and ensures plentiful laughs with awkward asides and exchanges, over-the-top and deadpan facial expressions, written moods ("gloom"; "rage"), and added flair. Brilliant coloring lights up the page with students' energy bursts and gorgeous backgrounds, and the vibrant art of the intense fight scenes packs a punch. A magnificently illustrated and entertaining first volume. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer