Lawful #1: Six Degrees of Monster

Creative Team

writer: GREG PAK

artist: DIEGO GALINDO

colorist: IRMA KNIIVILA

letterer: SIMON BOWLAND

publisher: BOOM! STUDIOS

Reviewed by Seth Adrian Romo

Lawful #1 is an imaginative series debut that fuses fantasy and social commentary into one of the most intriguing narratives.

In this world, karmic attributions from “bad” actions transform humans into monsters piece by piece. Sung Lim has managed to keep most of his humanity, but is now forced to join a sect of society that acts as judge and juror, regardless of his personal beliefs.

The world of Lawful weaves religion and fantasy tones in its narrative and will likely draw out questions from the reader such as: What is defined as good, how is good measured, and who is enforcing it? This may sound deeply metaphysical, but the way in which the story presents these challenges still remains accessible for readers and creates a well-balanced experience.

Writer Greg Pak builds an impressive world full of possibilities and questions. While Sung and Eris are the core characters in this premiere issue, there isn’t a lot of depth told to the reader, but this is partly due to the art that gives insight into the levels of “good and bad” people that surround Sung as he goes about his day.

Illustrated by Diego Galindo with colors by Irma Kniivila, the world New Sanctum balances modern western structures with rich greenery that has slowly grown into the concrete landscape. It’s a clever nod to the crux of the story being about transformation and adds a layer of lore to an already interesting world.

Final Verdict

Don’t expect action or intensity in this first issue. In fact, part of the charm is the lightness of the experience despite having deep themes. Unique and refreshing, Lawful isn’t just an interesting story with remarkable art; it sparks conversations about underlying moral complexities and layers in its world and design.

Criteria	Score
Writing	9.5
Story/Plot	9.5
Art/Line Work	9.5
Colors	9.5
Final Score	9.5/10