The Awl

Gyu-seok’s arresting English-language debut showcases the struggles of Korea’s labor movement through the misadventures of a reluctant activist. The narrative opens in the aughts, as labor organizer Go-shin Gu uses underhanded tactics to help a man receive unpaid wages. The focus then shifts to Soo-in Lee, the demanding manager of a grocery chain who nevertheless pushes back against an illegal order to force his employees to quit. Flashbacks fill in Soo-in’s backstory: even as a student, he had a strict moral code, putting him at odds with his peers in school and the military. When he leaves the service, he tries to keep his head down at the grocery store, and is disillusioned by his superiors’ corruption. Back in the present, unionization talks bring Soo-in into contact with Go-shin, who ridicules Soo-in for being someone who “can’t stand getting their hands dirty” and introduces him to the “real world” of labor protesting. The art imbues a somber atmosphere in a sketchy, rough-draft style reminiscent of Naoki Urasawa. Though flashbacks blended in with the present-day story can sometimes be hard to follow, it’s a thoughtful, well-researched take on the history of the fight for workers’ rights. Readers will be impressed with how Gyu-seok sprinkles consciousness-raising in with pop comics action. (June)