I thought it was just another martial arts manhwa but I was mistaken. Way to Heaven is not perfect, but there's something about it that drives the reader to want more. It started off by showing a scene of dead martial warriors lying down, drenched in their own blood. Their uniforms was quite similar to those ancient Korean officials we've often seen on dramas. The olden days of the Murim was unforgiving and the bloodied scene succeeded in depicting the sheer brutality of that era. The art in these first pages was like a combination of antique paintings from east Asia with some comic or retro elements. It's far from the sharp, bright, and highly detailed art styles that are really popular nowadays, but it's clean, detailed, and consistent. For me, that was already enough to continue skimming through the next pages.
A man, shocked by what he had just witnessed, was depicted next. The emotions of disbelief were well captured, but the man's face appeared a bit too 'cartoony' in my opinion. It could have been better if the artist had polished it to be more defined. Although the emotion was present, there was room for improvement.
A lady appeared in the following panels. With all the wind and debris flying, she was no doubt a martial master. She was quite old, and considering that the man mentioned that she appeared after 10 years, she was at least a middle-aged lady. I couldn't help myself to think about the duality of good and man. At first, I assumed that the lady might be some kind of hidden monster that had suffered a setback a decade ago. I mean the plot was quite common: old monsters biding their time, and then after healing their wounds, they would be out for blood, seeking revenge against the forces that harmed them. But after reading the following chapters I got the wrong assumption.
It's not fair to describe the interaction between the man and the lady as a battle; it's more like a one-sided massacre. The man, who seemed to be the leader of the warriors, tried to struggle, but he was simply no match. With a wave of the hand, dozens of cuts appeared on his body, which twisted either due to force or pain. The scene was fantastic; with only black and red ink, it managed to portray the viciousness of the lady's methods. The first scene ended, but the first chapter was yet to be finished.
Besides the intense action, what also fascinates me in reading Murim manhwas is the way common people live. They are often ignored or even looked down upon, but there is also joy in paying attention to them. Five orphans were walking with a few duck bones inside their buckets. A little girl being piggy-backed by his older brother asked if they'd eat meat soup soon. The elder brother then replied that if they boiled the the duck bones meat soup would come out. It's been a while since I've read some heart wrenching scenario. It was painful but somewhat beautiful. The children continued their walk. The elder ones knew their meal for that day would be water boiled with some boiled duck bones. They would likely continue this life for the years to come, some of them might even perish. But they were lucky because an insane yet charming old lady was about to change their lives.
There's more to know about this manhwa. There were ups and downs along the way. Expect lots of background stories especially for the elderly characters. It's a solid 8/10 for me.