Issunboshi

Just finished reading "Issunboshi" by Ryan Lang, published by Oni Press published back in 2024.
I was instantly drawn to "Issunboshi" when I discovered it on the shelves of the Coliseum of Comics off of Roosevelt Boulevard here in Jacksonville because of my love of Japanese folk tales - which always got me in trouble in elementary, junior high school and high school because my teachers though I shouldn't be reading them - the original Japanese folk tales are dark and don't have happy endings.
In the original tale, a childless old couple prayed to the Sumiyoshi sanjin to be blessed with a child, and so they were able to have one. However, the child born was only one sun (around 3 cm or 1.2 in) in height and never grew taller. Thus, the child was named the "one-sun boy" or "Issun-bōshi".
Now there are several versions Issunboshi and Lang's retelling has Issunboshi as a forest god who decides to be reborn in order to fight a great evil - so this has a Western take on the folk tale. Lang, who is also the artist, does an excellent job with the illustrations.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.

https://www.amazon.com/Issunboshi-Gra...