The tyranny of the Empire has lasted a thousand years, and true martial arts is but a thing of the past. However, there are still heroes in the most unlikely of places— amongst the motley band of soldiers and outlaws who left the old continent for the New World. One such vigilante, the lone wanderer Janggeon, has the hope of restoring martial arts to its former glory… but is that such an easy thing as it seems?

Wild West Murim has a story by WEST and art by JUNG HAN GIL, based on original work by CUPNOODLE. Localized by WEBTOON. Published by WEBTOON (October 4, 2026). Rated M.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

Imagine every “Wild West” movie you can. There's a loner who comes into a desolate town; he runs afoul of the corrupt gangs or the sheriff, depending on the story, and fights his way out of a bad situation, then leaves after having made his mark…maybe saving a woman or child or two and heading on to the next town.

Wild West Murim is exactly what it says it is. It is a Wild West story, with a loner who does all of the above, only all the thugs we fight are Korean, and the law is represented by the lawful martial artists, known as the Murim.

Janggeon is every Wild West loner we've ever seen. Quiet, unless provoked, a skilled fighter who wastes no energy on the foolish. When we meet him, we don't know what or who he is looking for, and as we get to know him, the questions about him increase, rather than diminish. How he came here, we learn, but what he is trying to do and why remain a mystery.

The art here is very cinematic, which suits the storytelling well. So cinematic, in fact, that key scenes often require one to turn one's phone horizontally, for a more widescreen view. It can be effective, but also becomes overused in places.

The fights themselves, despite the talk of Murim, Korean martial artists, are standard western movie fare. Not that I expect to see obscure family techniques, but…yes, I have watched hundreds of kung-fu flicks, and I did actually expect to see Janggeon whip out an obscure, maybe physically impossible, technique from his mysterious teacher. But no, it was all lead man in a western-style, avoiding hits and minimalist strikes that knock the thugs out. It got a little more exciting when Janggeon pulled his sword on bandits and neatly beheaded them, in a Murim edition of the random gunfight with a larger group of bandits. Then we finally get an impossible technique. And we got the random hanger-on and child. Phew. I was so relieved. It's fun, it's bloody, and if you like the Wild West loner-type action story, you'll love this. You can just hear the background music.