Minister Jade

For other uses, see Minister Jade (disambiguation).

Minister Jade
Minister Jade by Steve Bialik.
Publication information
Publisher	Cellar Door Publishing
First appearance	Minister Jade (2008)
Created by	Steve Bialik
In-story information
Alter ego	Zhen Wenxiu
Notable aliases	The Flying Fist of Fujian, Sentinel of the Seven Min
Abilities	Nearly limitless. Derived from a belt of magical Living Jade.

Minister Jade is a fictional character, created by writer-artist Steve Bialik and featured in the graphic novel of the same name published by Cellar Door Publishing in July of 2008.

Character Background

In Yuan Dynasty China a down-on-his-luck former government official named Zhen Wenxiu tries to commit suicide by jumping into the stormy sea, but is instead carried off to the mysterious Island of Living Jade. There he is met by two green-skinned dwarves who question him as to the state of their former home, China. When Wenxiu informs them that it has been conquered by the Mongols and transformed into a land of oppression and injustice, the dwarves give him a magical belt of Living Jade and encourage him to use its power to free China from the Mongol yoke. But the prestige-hungry Wenxiu chooses to serve rather than destroy the occupying regime. He insinuates himself into the retinue of Mongol emperor Khubilai Khan and basks in the wealth and status of his new position. Meanwhile, a mad cult leader named Wanyao Wang is on a mission to destroy all of China with a dread mist that turns people into solid gold. Wenxiu eventually uncovers this plot and wants to act, but Khubilai Khan urges him to focus his attention instead on the impending invasion of Japan. Realizing that Khubilai cares more about his imperial ambitions than the people of China, Wenxiu finally breaks away from him and sets out to stop Wanyayo Wang. In the end he gives up the life of a high-ranking minister for that of a poor but honorable hero.

Art Style

Minister Jade is drawn in the style of traditional Chinese figure paintings and woodcut prints, employing static poses, limited camera angles, crude perspective, and highly stylized natural scenery.

Awards

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2009

External links

• Cellar Door Publishing
• YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens