Review by C.J. Bunce
After my first review of the first volume of the Yan manhua series here at borg, I was astounded how writer-artist Chang Sheng amped up the intrigue for the second volume, which chalked up several year-end wins in 2025 here at borg, including Best Book, Best Manga/Manhua, Best Action Read, Best Sci-fi Read, and Best Series. Next week Titan Manga’s English translation of Yan–Volume 3 arrives in comic shops everywhere, collecting the final 350+ pages of the journey of heroine Yan Tieh-Hua. It’s available now for pre-order here at Amazon.
The first volume was full-blown heroine-led mystery, as readers were introduced to a young actress in the Peking Opera whose family was brutally murdered. Yan is believed dead in an explosion, and years later Detective Lei, a retired cop, returns to the cold case he worked on as a young man. The second volume switched up the genres for a powerhouse story of an ensemble of super-powered characters. Now the final act leans into video game action, with Yan and her crew left to end the menace trying to bring her down once and for all.
Think Lara Croft/Tomb Raider, and you’ll have an idea where the final act in this story is heading. The nemesis is Thirteen, a giant technological force projecting as a “visible man.” His likeness to Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan is so great in this volume that the entire book takes on a Watchmen vibe. This truly is a story of nontraditional superheroes ready to save the world. The unique traits of Alan More and Dave Gibbons’ characters is no more striking than an opera performer in China, or a young girl who can see five minutes into the future, or a teleporting man.
This volume has far less dialogue than the first two volumes, showcasing Chang Sheng’s artwork over his writing. But it maintains its parallels to X-Men: Days of Future Past with young Miku Higa, the girl who can see five minutes into the future, and the troubled Rabbit Herlock, who can teleport like the X-Men’s Nightcrawler and Blink.
In a brief note after the story, the author alludes to the possibility of TV and movie adaptations, and despite a solid ending to this three-act story, his final chapter creates the kind of superhero universe where we could see more from him. He created this story in 2020, so where is the rest? After you finish this final volume, you will leave wanting more.
I compared Chang’s work to Atomic Blonde, Fallen, Tru Calling, Alice in Borderland, Jessica Jones, Mai The Psychic Girl, and The Crow. None of that changes in the finale. It’s an exciting read from the first page to the thousandth.
Taiwanese writer-artist Chang Sheng is well-known for his work including the acclaimed novel Oldman, a story of a vengeful queen. This manhua (manga but Chinese created) features more of his stunning pencil and pen work, page after page of battle scenes. His best writing in this volume is his look back to Yan as she grows up after the death of her protective mother and lives with a quiet old man. The artwork here also might draw comparison to the style and aura of American artist Terry Moore, especially in his later horror series. As with the first two volumes, the third volume’s colorful, shiny, and sturdy, cardboard-covered, trade paperback sports the best visual design of any manhua/manga yet.
A Terminator-inspired A.I. menace. A teleporting man from a parallel world. A girl who can see five minutes into the future. A talking origami spirit. A bridge between traditional Chinese culture and new world technology. Add the third volume of Yan to your pull list now at Elite Comics or your local comic shop–or pre-order it here at Amazon, arriving May 12, 2026. It’s one of the best graphic fiction series of this decade.
