Review by Ian Keogh

Si-Woon is now considerably removed from the timid student who began The Breaker. Persistent and determined despite being bullied, by chance he’s come across feared martial artist Nine-Door Dragon, and has proved astounding at being able to pick up complicated moves very rapidly with little training. He’s been helped by having taken an experimental drug that maximises his qi. In fact his energy levels are so high that he could do himself great damage if not careful. Events related during The Breaker 3 alerted the assorted gangsters tapping into the mystical world of Si-Woon’s presence and formidable talent, and by the end of that volume the lack of experience was crucial and Si-Woon had been captured.

After the previous volume being drawn by a different artist, series co-creator Park Jin-Hwan is back on the art, which is welcome. He draws a phenomenal car chase. And phenomenal action, for that matter.

We have seen him in a couple of fights relatively easily dismissing opponents, but the first time Nine-Door Dragon is seen in action here underlines the gulf in class and technique between him and even the more powerful Murim affiliated with Clan Union. Jeon Geuk-Jin has mentioned why Nine-Door Dragon was considered a disgrace by other Murim, but now shows those circumstances in full. He was screwed by people wanting to maintain their self-interest rather than acting honourably. Jeon uses this as a prelude to a major smackdown, with the Clan thinking they have the upper hand.

Jeon works a pattern of escalation followed by skirmish followed by pause very efficiently, constantly maintaining suspense all the while. As this is going on Si-Woon is almost sidelined, but there’s some masterful storytelling at the point where he again becomes the focus. This is the best volume of The Breaker to date, dishing out some righteous vengeance, plenty of surprises and a great cliffhanger to lead into The Breaker 5.