Outlaws of the Marsh Volume 1: Spirits and Bandits

Outlaws of the Marsh Volume 1: Spirits and Bandits by Wei Dong Chen begins with a scene where mysterious evils persuade a man named Xin Hong to open a vault, releasing more than one hundred demons into China. The rest of the graphic novel gruesomely depicts the violent chaos that follows this event. From corrupt government officials to greedy tradesmen, the portrayal of human nature during the Song Dynasty is in a decidedly negative light. At the heart of it all is the question of justice under a corrupt administration. When innocents come to Major Da Lu speaking of their suffering and injustice, the Major considers it his duty to avenge them. However, his firm belief of due justice and punishment leads his actions to go astray, and he becomes isolated from the other people in the village, who now see him as a monster. The book raises the following question: Is it morally correct to fight violence with violence? Can someone like Major Da Lu, who grew up in such anarchic circumstances, change his violent ideals?