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." Arlo, a top-ranked student, wants to know why John does not fear him--and why Seraphina, also elite, spends so much time with a zero. Seraphina, once "always perfect," has indeed changed since meeting John. But to her, it's an improvement from being "lost in people's expectations." Still, she struggles with John's idea that powers should be used to bring peace; his father wrote unOrdinary, a banned book about a vigilante defending zeroes that she thinks "challenges the entire structure of [their] current society," especially how it has inspired likeminded heroism. Now, these self-proclaimed superheroes are being murdered, and a fearful public wishes vigilantes would stop causing trouble. As authorities stifle unOrdinary's ideals--a moral system that John openly follows--Arlo is adamant that there is something suspicious about him.
John upholds values few others dare to consider: that even the weak hold greatness and that strength does not mean superiority. His relentless grit that lands him in disaster--and often the infirmary--is painfully addicting to witness. By contrast, the rough home life and background explaining Seraphina's shifting perspective on achievement (and appreciation of John) twist the heart. The pair's closeness is a tender thing, encompassing vulnerable conversations and late-night competitive gaming. Uru-chan also carefully balances action and stillness. Thrilling calm-before-the storm buildups precede Seraphina dishing out what seem mere samples of her unrivaled ability. Awkward asides and exchanges, over-the-top and deadpan facial expressions, written moods ("gloom"; "rage"), and added flair (an arrow pointing at someone crashing out a window, the word "gone" over a ghostly outline of John having escaped the infirmary) ensure plentiful laughs. 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
Shelf Talker: An audacious teen without abilities unflinchingly defends himself and others in a brutal high school where the superpowered reign, in this artful first volume of a popular, action-packed WEBTOON.