Thanks to Publisher Spotlight for the review copy of Kroma. Originally issued in 4 separate issues, Kroma is now available bound together in one volume. #1 in the series.
In a dystopian world of black and white, splashes of color can be found… Zet, a young Makka in training, is stunned when a brightly colored bird nearly falls in his lap – dead. He links up with 3 of his fellow Makka for a ceremony lead by their leader Makavi. Makavi smashes a giant egg which causes the monster inside to hatch. Zet notices that the “monster” is really a girl with mismatched eyes (one blue, one green) in a costume. He goes up to the tower to hear Kroma’s story and encourages her to escape. While escaping, Zet is speared in the back, falling to his death and Kroma leaps into the trees below and evades the soldiers chasing after her. When the soldiers run into several deadly giant lizards, she is rescued by Soristo, a man in a brightly colored bird costume. Soristo takes her to his nest in the forest for safety, showing his true colors later that night. She is confused by a ghostly Zet and a ghostly Makavi who advise her two different courses of action. She chooses to battle Soristo to death, after he shared his secrets of taming the monsters in the forest. Meanwhile Makka Jun approaches a live Makavi to find out where Zet is; Jun is captured and becomes the next egg monster. Makavi’s crony Damog finds Kroma in the woods, and they battle to his death, she charms the monsters, and becomes their leader. She leads the monsters to Pale City, where she saves Jun, learns Makavi is her father, and leaves the Makka with Zet’s diary and the color balls that controls monsters, then takes a handful of monsters with her.
At times, the story jumps around so much that the action becomes confusing. (It is clearer on the 2nd reading.) It is high on action and less on character development. The artwork is the star here. The multiple shades of white, black, and gray used in Pale City and its inhabitants is downright oppressive. The splashes of bright colors brightens up everything and bring redemption. Evil men are just rotten to the core. Kroma has been told that she is a killer; she finds herself fulfilling this promise. Gallons of blood and seeing spears, swords, and scythes penetrating and killing and a beheaded man throw this into solid teen territory.
Not great literature, but exciting to read!
Recommended for grades Teen