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From Under Mountains #1-6
From Under Mountains
Old blood feuds rise up from the past to haunt the ruling family of Karsgate Keep. Young Lady Elena must defy convention and assume her father's role, facing forces that threaten Akhara from outside its borders, and worse yet, from within.
Collects FROM UNDER MOUNTAINS #1-6
Collects FROM UNDER MOUNTAINS #1-6
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
February 18, 2019
This was just not for me I guess. I dig fantasy comics, but this was difficult to follow. There's at least 20 characters and they all look alike except for their hair style. The art has a less stylized Paul Pope quality to it. The plot moves at a snail's pace. There are so many conversations that are trying to build this world, but it's just two people talking and it never becomes very clear how the political structure here works beyonds the basics of a medieval kingdom. This whole 6 issue arc was mainly just prelude to what the author appears to be setting up for a future that will probably never happen. This came out a couple of years ago, so I'm guessing we won't ever see a sequel. There are so many pages wasted in transition. There was more than once where a character just walked by themselves for 3 pages.
The only interesting character in the book was Elena, the daughter of the local Lord. She feels trapped because she has no say in how she lives her own life. It's a trope you see in lots of male dominated fantasy books, but I'm cool with it as long as at some time she gets to break out of that role and live her life as she chooses. I just wish she was the center of this "story". Instead it's plagued with 20 some odd other cardboard cutout characters, none of which are given enough of a personality for me to care about. In fact, the majority are just plain unlikable. I can't stress how much I disliked this book.
The only interesting character in the book was Elena, the daughter of the local Lord. She feels trapped because she has no say in how she lives her own life. It's a trope you see in lots of male dominated fantasy books, but I'm cool with it as long as at some time she gets to break out of that role and live her life as she chooses. I just wish she was the center of this "story". Instead it's plagued with 20 some odd other cardboard cutout characters, none of which are given enough of a personality for me to care about. In fact, the majority are just plain unlikable. I can't stress how much I disliked this book.
March 2, 2017
This is a slow burn fantasy graphic novel that is just epically beautiful to look at.
In Akhara the world stands on the edge of a knife. Lord Crow of Karsgate Keep, an isolated holding on the edge of the mountains, is all that stands between Akhara and the mysterious race of magical goblins who live under the mountains. Though both lands are at peace now it wouldn't take much to shift the balance back to a bloody war.
When tragedy strikes Karsgate Lord Crow's daughter Lady Elena sees an opportunity to shift off the oppressive yoke of subservience and docility that is the role of women in her world and strike out on a real adventure. But there is more at stake. An ancient blood feud sparked by a terrible choice made by her father in his youth will force her to face more than she bargained for when she dreamed of a great escape.
Like I said this is a slow burn but its just so damn beautiful I'd just as soon the authors take their sweet time telling their story. There's a majesty to the art and to the characters that blends a sort of Native American mysticism with a Tolkienesque story telling style that just works really, really well. The colors are amazingly rich, twilight's are deep purples with just a touch of blue and the days are full of amber colored skies. You can almost feel the texture of the characters clothes. This is one of those graphic novels where the art is the story as much as the words are.
Its as if the characters are going through the steps of a courtly dance, masks firmly in place, and all the while their passions, dreams, and darkest desires are churning inside them ready to fly out and wreck havoc as soon as they have the chance.
Though the issues in this volume are definitely more of a set up for things to come I was still totally enraptured with this. The stirrings of clandestine romance, the GOT plots within plots within plots, mysterious, half seen creatures and dark magic hiding in the wings, this just had everything I look for in really great fantasy with the always welcome bonus of strong female characters who seize their destinies and grab hold to power usually reserved only for the men.
What can I say I like a little Red Sonya with my Conan...And can I just say a great big thanks for an entire series with a non-white cast of characters? About damn time.
In Akhara the world stands on the edge of a knife. Lord Crow of Karsgate Keep, an isolated holding on the edge of the mountains, is all that stands between Akhara and the mysterious race of magical goblins who live under the mountains. Though both lands are at peace now it wouldn't take much to shift the balance back to a bloody war.
When tragedy strikes Karsgate Lord Crow's daughter Lady Elena sees an opportunity to shift off the oppressive yoke of subservience and docility that is the role of women in her world and strike out on a real adventure. But there is more at stake. An ancient blood feud sparked by a terrible choice made by her father in his youth will force her to face more than she bargained for when she dreamed of a great escape.
Like I said this is a slow burn but its just so damn beautiful I'd just as soon the authors take their sweet time telling their story. There's a majesty to the art and to the characters that blends a sort of Native American mysticism with a Tolkienesque story telling style that just works really, really well. The colors are amazingly rich, twilight's are deep purples with just a touch of blue and the days are full of amber colored skies. You can almost feel the texture of the characters clothes. This is one of those graphic novels where the art is the story as much as the words are.
Its as if the characters are going through the steps of a courtly dance, masks firmly in place, and all the while their passions, dreams, and darkest desires are churning inside them ready to fly out and wreck havoc as soon as they have the chance.
Though the issues in this volume are definitely more of a set up for things to come I was still totally enraptured with this. The stirrings of clandestine romance, the GOT plots within plots within plots, mysterious, half seen creatures and dark magic hiding in the wings, this just had everything I look for in really great fantasy with the always welcome bonus of strong female characters who seize their destinies and grab hold to power usually reserved only for the men.
What can I say I like a little Red Sonya with my Conan...And can I just say a great big thanks for an entire series with a non-white cast of characters? About damn time.
November 11, 2018
4 stars for the art, 3 for the story. I was interested in the characters individuals stories but not so much in the larger political stuff. Maybe it would have engaged me more had the world-building notes been at the front instead of the end!
June 14, 2018
I wish I had smarter things to say about this book, because I'm quite taken with it. To be honest, I really pre-ordered this just to support more diverse comics. I thought it would be, y'know, fine? But then it totally swept me away. Political intrigue and the paranormal! A dark plot full of tortured people and strong, interesting female characters! Rich colors and the masterful use of panels! (If you've read it too, can we geek out together about the page with the bird falling out of the sky? Okay thanks!)
Why doesn't this book have more buzz around it? The line art is maybe a bit weak, but the colors and panel design more than make up for it, and it's such a refreshing change to read a fantasy world not based on Europe and full of white people.
There is one collected edition, which contains issues 1-6, and so far that's all. Since issue #6 came out in 2016, I'm worried that the originally planned 12-ish issue story won't get completed, but even if that comes to pass I won't regret reading this volume.
Why doesn't this book have more buzz around it? The line art is maybe a bit weak, but the colors and panel design more than make up for it, and it's such a refreshing change to read a fantasy world not based on Europe and full of white people.
There is one collected edition, which contains issues 1-6, and so far that's all. Since issue #6 came out in 2016, I'm worried that the originally planned 12-ish issue story won't get completed, but even if that comes to pass I won't regret reading this volume.
February 28, 2019
I just finished reading this month's book and I felt a little underwhelmed. I haven't heard the podcast yet as I hadn't finished the story, so forgive me if anything I said here was discussed in depth.
This is what happened to me, I couldn't engage with the artwork when the normal characters of the story were just standing around and talking. It felt like there was a rather lack of differentiation between the characters personalities. What I mean by that is that everyone feels one note. For example, they are all grim and frowny. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but I think there was half a smile by one character in the first 4 issues and that just feels to me like an unrealistic world. Even in Westeros there are a couple of witty jokers. I'm not asking for anyone to be a buffoon, but when everyone is the same in the way they talk and the way the act, it doesn't engage me. The only one that seemed to show much range was Elena's father and Elena had a nice, although subtle growth throughout.
Now, whenever the writers were explaining the mythology of the world, I was definitely engaged. The artwork fit perfectly to that surreal tone they were trying to convey. I found those parts fascinating. Sadly, there weren't many of them.
The story telling is strange to me. Conversations are too long and mostly don't reveal much or repeat the information we know already. We don't need 5 pages of another conversation with Fisher about whatever he did, when you've been showing us since we saw him for the first time and he's been telling us with his constant melancholy all throughout. The side plot with the council is not very interesting. The only story that seemed to have some payoff was the story between the witch and Elena's father.
Am I the only one that feels that Elena's story is not very original?
Either way, this one was definitely not my favorite, but I'm glad I read it. There are some moments of pure brilliance with the artwork of this book.
This is what happened to me, I couldn't engage with the artwork when the normal characters of the story were just standing around and talking. It felt like there was a rather lack of differentiation between the characters personalities. What I mean by that is that everyone feels one note. For example, they are all grim and frowny. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but I think there was half a smile by one character in the first 4 issues and that just feels to me like an unrealistic world. Even in Westeros there are a couple of witty jokers. I'm not asking for anyone to be a buffoon, but when everyone is the same in the way they talk and the way the act, it doesn't engage me. The only one that seemed to show much range was Elena's father and Elena had a nice, although subtle growth throughout.
Now, whenever the writers were explaining the mythology of the world, I was definitely engaged. The artwork fit perfectly to that surreal tone they were trying to convey. I found those parts fascinating. Sadly, there weren't many of them.
The story telling is strange to me. Conversations are too long and mostly don't reveal much or repeat the information we know already. We don't need 5 pages of another conversation with Fisher about whatever he did, when you've been showing us since we saw him for the first time and he's been telling us with his constant melancholy all throughout. The side plot with the council is not very interesting. The only story that seemed to have some payoff was the story between the witch and Elena's father.
Am I the only one that feels that Elena's story is not very original?
Either way, this one was definitely not my favorite, but I'm glad I read it. There are some moments of pure brilliance with the artwork of this book.
February 10, 2023
(2,4 of 5 for this bland and underperforming bait)
Why I picked this? Well, I love art from Marian Churchland and Brandon Graham. So their stories. And when I saw their both involvement and Marian's covers, I was in. And it was a mistake.
The story is terrible. You can see there is a good idea under it, but the execution is utterly horrible. I just finished that ten pages of the prologue for Isola (released as a bonus in Motor Crush) and those ten pages have ten times of captivating and comprehensive story basically in a similar fantasy setup to the whole From Under Mountains. I blame Claire Gibson. She seems to me a bungler writer. No profound skill and definitely no talent. Just punching the keyboard with conviction will be good just because.
And there is Sloane Leong. You got a cover from Churchland, basically a piece of art. Mesmerising, eerie, and beautifully pulled off. And this is followed by Leong's art, which is barely art. It looks much like all that mediocre webcomics made by enthusiasts who substitute their lack of skill with a great amount of determination. Which is fine, completely fine. For webcomics. But this? This is bad. So the result is bad. The very mediocre story is presented by terrible storytelling and illustrated by cheapo "art".
Ugh.
Why I picked this? Well, I love art from Marian Churchland and Brandon Graham. So their stories. And when I saw their both involvement and Marian's covers, I was in. And it was a mistake.
The story is terrible. You can see there is a good idea under it, but the execution is utterly horrible. I just finished that ten pages of the prologue for Isola (released as a bonus in Motor Crush) and those ten pages have ten times of captivating and comprehensive story basically in a similar fantasy setup to the whole From Under Mountains. I blame Claire Gibson. She seems to me a bungler writer. No profound skill and definitely no talent. Just punching the keyboard with conviction will be good just because.
And there is Sloane Leong. You got a cover from Churchland, basically a piece of art. Mesmerising, eerie, and beautifully pulled off. And this is followed by Leong's art, which is barely art. It looks much like all that mediocre webcomics made by enthusiasts who substitute their lack of skill with a great amount of determination. Which is fine, completely fine. For webcomics. But this? This is bad. So the result is bad. The very mediocre story is presented by terrible storytelling and illustrated by cheapo "art".
Ugh.
February 24, 2019
I really wanted to love this. And the art was awesome. The story was convoluted and messy. I didn’t overwhelmingly enjoy it.
Basically we’re left with a nobleman who killed a young man when he was a young man. We find a witch who kills this nobleman’s son with some sort of vapor. We learn more about this conflict over time with the sixth issue being where we come to totally understand what’s happened.
But in between issue one and six there is a lot of story that ultimately doesn’t matter. And that’s what’s so strange to me about this book. We end with this nobleman’s daughter being essentially the same person she was when she began, just slightly more empowered to lead. We’re left with a “hero” who is nothing when we meet him and ultimately isn’t much more after the fact.
I guess I just don’t know what this story is trying to tell me.
Basically we’re left with a nobleman who killed a young man when he was a young man. We find a witch who kills this nobleman’s son with some sort of vapor. We learn more about this conflict over time with the sixth issue being where we come to totally understand what’s happened.
But in between issue one and six there is a lot of story that ultimately doesn’t matter. And that’s what’s so strange to me about this book. We end with this nobleman’s daughter being essentially the same person she was when she began, just slightly more empowered to lead. We’re left with a “hero” who is nothing when we meet him and ultimately isn’t much more after the fact.
I guess I just don’t know what this story is trying to tell me.
February 22, 2019
The organization of the political world and geography is interesting, as well as the uniqueness of the multiple gods, which differed from the the normal Father, Mother, and Trickster roles. However, this felt really slow. I had a hard time keeping up with which young character was which. Just as I was getting into the story, the trade ended.
November 16, 2017
Ugh, I was disappointed!
It sounded great, but I found it hard to follow, with wooden dialogue, and ultimately forgettable.
Good points: Full color illustrations, and characters who aren't white-skinned.
Sad.
It sounded great, but I found it hard to follow, with wooden dialogue, and ultimately forgettable.
Good points: Full color illustrations, and characters who aren't white-skinned.
Sad.
March 5, 2019
Not sure I entirely got the finer points of this collected trade, but most of it serves as a setup for future volumes (which I am not sure will be forthcoming). It has its moments, but I think a re-read or two would be necessary to get more out of it. I'm just not sure I feel motivated to do so.
February 12, 2019
I had a really hard time following this story and telling the characters apart. The costume design and world-building notes at the end were probably the most interesting thing happening in this book. A lot of reviewers talk about how great the art is, but I thought it was pretty mediocre, along with the rest of the book.
February 1, 2019
I have read many comic books written & illustrated by women.
This is the first I come across that is so boring.
The dialogue is utterly wooden, the characters are disinteresting. The only positive of this limited series is the unique pencil-centric art. It has some nice moments, especially when it gets etheric.
But otherwise, I would put it to the non-recommended & disappointing list of comics by women, where I had only Mockingbird, by Chelsea Cain & Kate Niemczyk, so far.
This is the first I come across that is so boring.
The dialogue is utterly wooden, the characters are disinteresting. The only positive of this limited series is the unique pencil-centric art. It has some nice moments, especially when it gets etheric.
But otherwise, I would put it to the non-recommended & disappointing list of comics by women, where I had only Mockingbird, by Chelsea Cain & Kate Niemczyk, so far.
December 9, 2016
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
From Under Mountains is a fantasy graphic novel starring a teenage princess who chafes against the role assigned to her by her gender. Lady Elena longs for adventure and to know more about the world beyond the palace, but her father Lord Crowe sees her as nothing but a pawn to be married off for political gain.
When tragedy strikes the royal family, Lord Crowe falls into a depression, and Lady Elena finds herself at the reigns of the kingdom. Because she’s been underestimated for so long though, she doesn’t have the background knowledge or the skills to understand the big picture, and there are many people who seek to take advantage of her. Meanwhile, a witch is conjuring spirits from beyond the grave that threaten to upset the balance.
I have so many feelings about this book:
The art is gorgeous, and filled with vibrant autumn colors.
At the same time, many of the characters look very similar, and it can be hard to tell them apart.
Requires a lot of work on the part of the reader to piece together what’s going on.
Sometimes characters’ flash green. It’s probably symbolic of something, but I’m not quite sure what.
In terms of pacing, the story meanders like a lazy spring through a forest. It isn’t rushed in the least.
I love seeing fantasy that isn’t just another permutation of medieval Europe.
Witchcraft and otherworldly eldritch beings make me happy.
My general taste in comics runs toward high concept fantasy/horror with a lot of worldbuilding (or, as Mike tells me, I’m really just a comic book hipster). In general, I enjoyed From Under Mountains, despite its flaws. There were a lot of elements that I greatly enjoyed, especially the blend of witchcraft and statecraft. I also felt like this volume barely scratched the surface of a much larger world, and am eager to learn more about it.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...
From Under Mountains is a fantasy graphic novel starring a teenage princess who chafes against the role assigned to her by her gender. Lady Elena longs for adventure and to know more about the world beyond the palace, but her father Lord Crowe sees her as nothing but a pawn to be married off for political gain.
When tragedy strikes the royal family, Lord Crowe falls into a depression, and Lady Elena finds herself at the reigns of the kingdom. Because she’s been underestimated for so long though, she doesn’t have the background knowledge or the skills to understand the big picture, and there are many people who seek to take advantage of her. Meanwhile, a witch is conjuring spirits from beyond the grave that threaten to upset the balance.
I have so many feelings about this book:
The art is gorgeous, and filled with vibrant autumn colors.
At the same time, many of the characters look very similar, and it can be hard to tell them apart.
Requires a lot of work on the part of the reader to piece together what’s going on.
Sometimes characters’ flash green. It’s probably symbolic of something, but I’m not quite sure what.
In terms of pacing, the story meanders like a lazy spring through a forest. It isn’t rushed in the least.
I love seeing fantasy that isn’t just another permutation of medieval Europe.
Witchcraft and otherworldly eldritch beings make me happy.
My general taste in comics runs toward high concept fantasy/horror with a lot of worldbuilding (or, as Mike tells me, I’m really just a comic book hipster). In general, I enjoyed From Under Mountains, despite its flaws. There were a lot of elements that I greatly enjoyed, especially the blend of witchcraft and statecraft. I also felt like this volume barely scratched the surface of a much larger world, and am eager to learn more about it.
January 5, 2019
I had a very hard time following this plot. It felt like I was submerged in a world, with little exposition but not in an exciting way like a video game...in a confusing way like a movie you catch on tv halfway through. Were there goblins in this book? How many main characters were there? From what I could wean there is a prince of a kingdom who is killed by a spell, his sister is now going to be married off (and leave the kingdom to marry which....at least she has wanted to travel) and the mother of someone killed by the king is the sorceress who sent the spell to kill the prince. Sorry if I gave anything away to you....hope I helped you follow, actually.
October 20, 2016
From Under Mountains by Claire Gibson and Marian Churchland is a rather slow moving fantasy story that takes place in a world that clearly have links in Africa, Middle East and India. It's a place where you can hear the wind over the deserts and the whispers of the gods. Rather than fall the tropes of the genre, FUM's makes a story of quieter stories of grief, witchcraft and political dealings. While I did enjoy it, it needed a large set piece to shake up especially later in the story.
June 15, 2017
From Under Mountains has beautiful art, and is a fantasy story that isn't set in white Europe. Woo! Unfortunately, it's a story I've seen dozens of times before. Political machinations, a princess who wants to be more than her society allows for, witches. Nothing in this was very new, nor did I get a good sense of the world that it was building, other than generic soft fantasy. Hopefully it grows into something more interesting in future volumes.
January 9, 2017
what a brilliant new series to get into, just in time for 2017 and the current phase of my comic-drought. gorgeous coloring, a magical mise en scène, both combined with a compellingly constructed geography + a female and poc-driven narrative, this presents something new and removed from the series I've been reading lately and makes me excited to watch for what's to come.
November 6, 2017
This appears to be an interesting world and potentially an interesting story, but it suffers from a weak start. It gives you a large number of events, but not enough context surrounding them for the events to really engage. What we do get clearly are some fairly traditional story structures, and sadly the first volume ends before they actually reach the meeting.
February 26, 2017
I read the first comic for this series when it came out and have been looking forward to the collection ever since. Good writing and world building, complex characters, good-looking art. I'm looking forward to reading the next collection.
June 18, 2021
I do love a good smoke monster.
July 30, 2017
An interesting fantasy comic that puts its protagonists on a good 'ole quest, but also approaches questions of balance, vengeance, and the patriarchy. It's a very nice mix of fantasy tropes with real issues.
The art is absolutely beautiful, but also the main issue with the comic as it's sometimes muddy and makes it hard to distinguish among the many characters. Interesting storytelling full of insightful flashbacks also furthers this muddying.
I'm hoping that a second reading will involve less staring and staring, trying to figure out who's who, but nonetheless I'll definitely pick up another volume when and if it comes out. (Though one story ends in this volume, we're just getting started with others.)
The art is absolutely beautiful, but also the main issue with the comic as it's sometimes muddy and makes it hard to distinguish among the many characters. Interesting storytelling full of insightful flashbacks also furthers this muddying.
I'm hoping that a second reading will involve less staring and staring, trying to figure out who's who, but nonetheless I'll definitely pick up another volume when and if it comes out. (Though one story ends in this volume, we're just getting started with others.)
November 13, 2017
Rough start to a fantasy series that deals with family, politics, and magic in "From under mountains" It starts with a crap load of names, mythology, and lore that really slow the story. Mid way I was ready to close it but it slowly starts to make sense and by the end it is just OK. The artist did no favors with character creation and gives them all a very similar look that also hurts the book. The story focuses on a shadowy monster that kills a prince and leaves the kingdom unsettled. I was intrigued by the end but I doubt I will look for vol.2
December 25, 2017
I might have enjoyed this rather generic fantasy more if the writer had not held back what exactly was going on for so long and if I hadn't had some difficulty distinguishing between the male characters in the artwork. By the end of the collection things started to gel just enough that I might consider picking up the second volume if I come across it at the library, especially since a new artist will be taking over.
September 28, 2016
So I'll be honest I think I get kind of the general story line but it is a bit confusing for me.
But I'm really hear for the MAGNIFICENT ART! Oh my gods I could spend days singing the praises of the style and colors! THE ART!
I'm just so in love with the art!
But I'm really hear for the MAGNIFICENT ART! Oh my gods I could spend days singing the praises of the style and colors! THE ART!
I'm just so in love with the art!
May 30, 2016
Took a little bit to get into the rhythm and recognizing the characters, but I really liked it. Hope there's more on the way.
December 19, 2021
This was a great book marred by a couple significant issues to me. It's about life in a remote area of a kingdom, with the goblins getting antsy on one side and the main political structures so far away that they feel the need to address stuff themselves.
I found almost all of the characters to be individually interesting, even some with very little page time. Whenever we were focused on what they were doing I was paying close attention to learn more about who they were and what they would be doing next. And the art is beautiful and expressive, with some great timing and sequential choices that really hit me in the gut.
But unfortunately, I had a hard time telling some of the characters apart. The ones who show up a lot were fine, but a lot of the others kinda bled into one another, which made some things confusing until I realized the character I was looking at wasn't the one I thought it was.
Also, while this book is VERY good at illustrating action when it comes up there is a lot of standing around and talking. I get why it happened, but it still wasn't as engaging as it could have been.
Finally, while I didn't see any indication of it on the trade I got, this is book 1 of a longer story, and a lot of the stuff doesn't wrap up in as satisfying a way as I was hoping for. That's largely on me, but felt it was worth mentioning.
Overall though, I'm glad I read it, and once the next book comes out, I'll probably look into reading it as well!
I found almost all of the characters to be individually interesting, even some with very little page time. Whenever we were focused on what they were doing I was paying close attention to learn more about who they were and what they would be doing next. And the art is beautiful and expressive, with some great timing and sequential choices that really hit me in the gut.
But unfortunately, I had a hard time telling some of the characters apart. The ones who show up a lot were fine, but a lot of the others kinda bled into one another, which made some things confusing until I realized the character I was looking at wasn't the one I thought it was.
Also, while this book is VERY good at illustrating action when it comes up there is a lot of standing around and talking. I get why it happened, but it still wasn't as engaging as it could have been.
Finally, while I didn't see any indication of it on the trade I got, this is book 1 of a longer story, and a lot of the stuff doesn't wrap up in as satisfying a way as I was hoping for. That's largely on me, but felt it was worth mentioning.
Overall though, I'm glad I read it, and once the next book comes out, I'll probably look into reading it as well!
September 16, 2017
Another very random discovery for me. While I was away from the station I was working at, someone else checked in this book and sent it off to fill a hold. The title intrigued me, but all I could discover was that it was a graphic novel with a fantasy setting. That was enough for me to place a hold on it.
This is a promising start to a story, but it is fairly slow-moving and full of intrigue, so a little hard to get a full sense of things at this point. I look forward to more entries. I especially like the world-building material at the end, like the descriptions of the gods and the stories told about them. I kind of wish there was a story out there that was just about someone collecting myths and cultural insights, as happens in a middle part of The Left Hand of Darkness.
The art is generally nice, but I wish it could all be as good as the covers/chapter breaks. It is generally good, but there are times when the background is insufficiently detailed, and it feels distracting. And I had difficulty at times telling some characters apart or consistently identifying characters, especially in the very beginning.
This is a promising start to a story, but it is fairly slow-moving and full of intrigue, so a little hard to get a full sense of things at this point. I look forward to more entries. I especially like the world-building material at the end, like the descriptions of the gods and the stories told about them. I kind of wish there was a story out there that was just about someone collecting myths and cultural insights, as happens in a middle part of The Left Hand of Darkness.
The art is generally nice, but I wish it could all be as good as the covers/chapter breaks. It is generally good, but there are times when the background is insufficiently detailed, and it feels distracting. And I had difficulty at times telling some characters apart or consistently identifying characters, especially in the very beginning.
March 30, 2019
This was a really good start but here we are four years later and there still isn't a new issue or even the hint that this story will continue. So, I have to unfortunately review this as a standalone and to be frank, it's not that good. My main issue with this graphic novel is that it has a really great premise, there's a hero, who came to fame under mysterious circumstances, a noblewoman, who wants to do more than be a wife, and a shadow assassin brought to life by a desert witch that is wrecking havoc on the kingdoms but it's kinda a tease. We don't really see anything come to fruition. Once we become well acquainted with them, which amounts to a lot of dialogue and exposition, the volume ends and there doesn't seem to a chance that it will continue.
So, once you hit this realization and the fact that the story really didn't start in this volume plus the similar character designs and slight odd pacing (seriously who ends an issue with I have a preposition for you and you're like "wait who are these people" and then the serious effect is lost) then this seemingly standalone and unfinished volume does not seem that great.
So, once you hit this realization and the fact that the story really didn't start in this volume plus the similar character designs and slight odd pacing (seriously who ends an issue with I have a preposition for you and you're like "wait who are these people" and then the serious effect is lost) then this seemingly standalone and unfinished volume does not seem that great.
June 22, 2017
There might be something here! It starts with a map and a royal family arguing with itself, in pretty traditional high fantasy fashion. The plot tends to jump around a lot from there, and even though the art did a really good job of making the characters distinguishable (without relying on hair color as the comic book trope so often goes), I still hard a hard time figuring out what was going on.
The problem is that like so many other Vol. 1s, there's a lot of set up, some intriguing and some that falls flat for not being able to tell who was what, and zero payoff. This is fine for a comics series in general but if we're writing decompressed stories for the trades, then I have to have some story beyond Act I Scene I in the first trade. The big deal at the end of this volume is essentially that "Lady Elena will assume her father's role" which it literally says in the solicitation text.
The problem is that like so many other Vol. 1s, there's a lot of set up, some intriguing and some that falls flat for not being able to tell who was what, and zero payoff. This is fine for a comics series in general but if we're writing decompressed stories for the trades, then I have to have some story beyond Act I Scene I in the first trade. The big deal at the end of this volume is essentially that "Lady Elena will assume her father's role" which it literally says in the solicitation text.
March 29, 2019
Technically 3 1/2, but I wanted to be generous since I feel like it could improve.
I felt like this first volume is a set-up for the larger story, so while it's slow and and just seems like a lot of politics, I feel it'll pick up with all the pieces falling into place. I also liked the artistic style of the pages, which have bolder linework and flatter colors drawing more attention to the story of the characters. I also liked the framework of mythology and mysticism in the story, which I felt added a lot to the world.
I'll admit it does suffer from some same-face syndrome (I didn't realize a certain character had died until I saw who was at the funeral), but that's improvable. I'm more worried that this will never update or continue as it's been a couple of years since this first volume came out.
I felt like this first volume is a set-up for the larger story, so while it's slow and and just seems like a lot of politics, I feel it'll pick up with all the pieces falling into place. I also liked the artistic style of the pages, which have bolder linework and flatter colors drawing more attention to the story of the characters. I also liked the framework of mythology and mysticism in the story, which I felt added a lot to the world.
I'll admit it does suffer from some same-face syndrome (I didn't realize a certain character had died until I saw who was at the funeral), but that's improvable. I'm more worried that this will never update or continue as it's been a couple of years since this first volume came out.
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