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Rose #1
Rose, Vol. 1: The Last Light
A classic fantasy tale about a girl trying to restore balance to a broken world. Rose must connect with her Khat—Thorne—to become the Guardian her world needs. But things aren't easy for Rose and Thorne. The sorceress Drucilla has many powerful and demonic allies—all of them focused on stopping one scared little girl who's desperately trying to stay alive and do what's right. Collects ROSE #1-6
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2017
7 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Finch
101 books60 followersMarried to international, best-selling comic artist David Finch and mother to three boys, Meredith has been steeped in the world of comics since meeting Finch in November 2005.
Having written for both Zenescope and DC Comics, Meredith begins her first foray into creator-owned comics in 2017. Titled ROSE, this fantasy series combines her love of mythology with modern issues, and is sure to be a hit with her many fans.
Having written for both Zenescope and DC Comics, Meredith begins her first foray into creator-owned comics in 2017. Titled ROSE, this fantasy series combines her love of mythology with modern issues, and is sure to be a hit with her many fans.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
May 31, 2018
Your run of the mill sword and sorcery story. The characters all seemed a bit trope-ish. I was surprised at the amount of scantily clad women in this given that it was written by a woman. It would make more sense for women warriors to be wearing armor, not wisps of clothing. I didn't really get the whole thing with the evil queen, Drucilla. The whole evil for evil's sake doesn't really work for me. Wouldn't everyone in the kingdom rise up against her if she's that blatantly threatening your family and children?
November 21, 2017
Not my cup of coffee! So I gave this series a try, cause: 1.) Like Eternal Empire its a fantasy medieval series, which I'm all for and 2.) I wanted to give Meredith Finch a second chance after I wasn't the biggest fan of her Wonder Woman run in The New 52. Unfortunately this series did not do it for me. To talk about the negatives, the story itself is okay but predictable, my main issue though was the dialogue (Which is one of the main things, that's a make or break it for me), it just wasn't really that interesting to read; which unfortunately broke the overall enjoyment for me. This is a minor gripe but I also thought the tragic origin story of the main protag Rose(cause every hero needs one) was a bit rushed and could have been developed a bit more in the beginning.
On the plus side though, the art is absolutely beautiful, really made the comic a joy to look at! Also this trade is only $10 (unlike *cough Eternal Empire Cough*) so it might be worth at least giving a try if your still interested in this series. But overall this series is not for me sadly.
On the plus side though, the art is absolutely beautiful, really made the comic a joy to look at! Also this trade is only $10 (unlike *cough Eternal Empire Cough*) so it might be worth at least giving a try if your still interested in this series. But overall this series is not for me sadly.
June 5, 2018
In this incredibly mediocre story, a young woman named Rose is one of the last left in a kingdom who has any trace of magic. All others with magic have been killed by Drucilla, the Queen who is so evil it felt like she should be twirling a mustache. Rose's mother (along with everyone else there) gets murdered in a raid on the village they live in and she teams up with rebels in time to find out she's one half of the last Guardian. The other half being the magical khat creature known as Thorne. Yes, he's a giant magical cat. Then Drusilla comes after them and Rose and Thorne and the rebels have to find a way to deal with the evil Queen.
This felt like Finch played D&D once and thought it'd be cool to write a story about it. There's a vague notion of a fantasy world that's just chock full of stereotypes. I'm also one hundred percent sure that Finch has no idea how swords work because Rose is laughably bad at how to use one. I mean, I like the idea of having a magically talented heroine who isn't a good fighter but she should not be tripping over or protesting the weight of a cutlass as she runs with it on her belt. There were so many WTF moments in this story. I love seeing fantasy that features female characters but this is not worth anyone's time.
This felt like Finch played D&D once and thought it'd be cool to write a story about it. There's a vague notion of a fantasy world that's just chock full of stereotypes. I'm also one hundred percent sure that Finch has no idea how swords work because Rose is laughably bad at how to use one. I mean, I like the idea of having a magically talented heroine who isn't a good fighter but she should not be tripping over or protesting the weight of a cutlass as she runs with it on her belt. There were so many WTF moments in this story. I love seeing fantasy that features female characters but this is not worth anyone's time.
August 11, 2018
Rose is a young girl who has magic in a land where magic users are hunted down and killed. The land use to have guardians, and our Rose finds out that she is one.
The first female one, too.
That's her Khat on the cover.
In part, this book seems to hint at a power struggle that started with how a king treated his daughter (and I hope what the daughter said is explored later in the series), but it also about finding one's place. The women in the book are strong (though, I do wonder a bit at Rose's clothing choice, a bit. Wouldn't you want pants?).
It is a really fine epic fantasy, and I look forward to reading more.
The first female one, too.
That's her Khat on the cover.
In part, this book seems to hint at a power struggle that started with how a king treated his daughter (and I hope what the daughter said is explored later in the series), but it also about finding one's place. The women in the book are strong (though, I do wonder a bit at Rose's clothing choice, a bit. Wouldn't you want pants?).
It is a really fine epic fantasy, and I look forward to reading more.
November 29, 2017
~Disclaimer: I received this book for free~
I really wanted to love this. I mean woman lead comic with a giant cat? Yes, please.
However, this fell flat for me.
First the whole chosen one narrative is just so overdone at this point. And then the whole "you are so different than those that came before you" bs is also overdone. The lead isn't that special or unique.
Second there was so much fan service. I would have been happier if the folks wore more battle friendly attire. Having cleavage on the battlefield really isn't that helpful in keeping you alive. I did like the art in general though. It was consistent in quality and well-done.
This book tried to introduce an entire host of characters and give snippets of backstories and ultimately didn't let you really bond with any singular character. I didn't have a strong grasp of who Rose was as a person. I think the author was trying to show different faucets of the character, but she ended up seeming super inconsistent instead of nuanced.
If I saw the sequel I might flip through it to see if I was interested, but I doubt this is one I'm going to seek out in order to add it to my collection.
I really wanted to love this. I mean woman lead comic with a giant cat? Yes, please.
However, this fell flat for me.
First the whole chosen one narrative is just so overdone at this point. And then the whole "you are so different than those that came before you" bs is also overdone. The lead isn't that special or unique.
Second there was so much fan service. I would have been happier if the folks wore more battle friendly attire. Having cleavage on the battlefield really isn't that helpful in keeping you alive. I did like the art in general though. It was consistent in quality and well-done.
This book tried to introduce an entire host of characters and give snippets of backstories and ultimately didn't let you really bond with any singular character. I didn't have a strong grasp of who Rose was as a person. I think the author was trying to show different faucets of the character, but she ended up seeming super inconsistent instead of nuanced.
If I saw the sequel I might flip through it to see if I was interested, but I doubt this is one I'm going to seek out in order to add it to my collection.
November 29, 2025
This was described as a "classic fantasy" and that apparently means somewhat unoriginal, following all the old tired tropes. I mean, it's basically Star Wars. The evil empress (emperor) has destroyed all the magic users (Jedi), but now a young, hidden magic user (Jedi) named Rose (Luke) is rising up from her (his) rural beginnings to challenge the empress (emperor). There's some nice (albeit sexist) art, and there's a cute cat-familiar. But other than that: meh.
December 18, 2017
Meh. The villain is a little too hey, let’s murder these folks for fun because I’m an evil overlord.
April 14, 2018
This book really deserves 2.5 stars - it is right in the middle for me. The art is beautiful for the most part, although there are a couple of cheesecake poses and the villainess' wardrobe seems absurdly scanty. The story is middle-of-the-road hero's journey - Rose and every character she interacts with feel familiar because they all seem to be tropes; the elderly adviser, the protagonist with a mysterious quest and destiny, the villainous pursuer who has a change of heart, etc. Even the major conceit, the mystical connection between guardians and their Khats (like cats but... you know, with a Kh) feels like something my daughter would have written up (except maybe with dragons). Every character, every story beat, everything feels overly familiar. It's presented fairly well (some of the dialogue made me wince, and the profanity really seemed unnecessary), but there's no real spark of uniqueness to draw me in. It's not bad, just... average.
December 12, 2017
I desperately wanted to like this woman led and written comic. The plot is mediocre at best, relying on a lot of fantasy tropes and obviously LOTR, but the art frustrated me beyond belief.
This comic might be for you if you’re into female warriors wearing loincloths and garbage armor exposing midriffs and literally not wearing pants while fighting for their lives. Or if another woman wears barbed wire near her mostly exposed breasts because despite skulls decorating her wardrobe, it must be there so she can appear DANGEROUS. Perhaps you’ll like the most gratuitous drawings of butts that have no relation to the plot or character development I’ve seen in awhile. Only the young women are drawn with classic figures, with a total lack of diversity in body sizes unless there is an older woman. Tbh, there is just a lack of diversity in general with the only speaking WOC in this series is the villain.
I won’t be continuing this series.
This comic might be for you if you’re into female warriors wearing loincloths and garbage armor exposing midriffs and literally not wearing pants while fighting for their lives. Or if another woman wears barbed wire near her mostly exposed breasts because despite skulls decorating her wardrobe, it must be there so she can appear DANGEROUS. Perhaps you’ll like the most gratuitous drawings of butts that have no relation to the plot or character development I’ve seen in awhile. Only the young women are drawn with classic figures, with a total lack of diversity in body sizes unless there is an older woman. Tbh, there is just a lack of diversity in general with the only speaking WOC in this series is the villain.
I won’t be continuing this series.
December 12, 2017
This hovers on between a 3.5 and a 3.8. I liked the art and the story wasn't bad but it was missing something. I think I needed more character development (Which I know is not easy in a graphic novel format that you are just starting) because I felt that the Queen was definitely evil...but there was no real reason behind it (she wanted to prove her father wrong? And she's just cruel? Give her a hobby or something then, other than killing children).
I have hopes for this book because it does have potential.
I have hopes for this book because it does have potential.
September 28, 2017
Good start to a new series. Interesting take on a magical series.
July 15, 2021
I really liked it! A huge cat, sorry Khat, and a wonderful story altogether with gorgeous drawings and colouring. The queen is a little too naked, but I will definitely follow this series.
April 20, 2018
This one is quite muddy.
A mildly tragic backstory lacking in basic detail. An afterthought of a villain character. A hopeless heroine. And an average menagerie of events whose arrangement hearkens contrivance, despite the obvious need for something more.
ROSE is a typical genre-comic whose story is way too large for its characters. In turn, the characters cannot keep up, the reader cannot keep up, and the creative team resorts to various leaps in logic or ugly, narrative conveniences to keep everything apace. In six chapters, ROSE yearns to be the heroic fantasy one can only muster after years of painstaking effort. The result is all too recognizable, which is not necessarily a good thing.
A despot in an out-of-the-way kingdom dethrones the current royalty, and uses magic to hunt and execute other magic users. Along the way, this new queen exhibits cruelty, neglect, and a thirst for power that ensures the decline of anyone not privileged to reside within her inner circle of soldiers and sycophants.
Naturally, the peasants would have it otherwise.
ROSE makes an attempt at overlaying a mythical backstory of seasoned warriors and their giant beast familiars onto the current milieu of a land in ruin. And while the tale of a young woman (Rose) whose village is burned and whom must take up arms with the local rebels is easy to digest, the pattern and rhythm of the book's Great Power Within You cliché is tiring from the onset.
Perhaps if the dialogue wasn't so gaudy and stilted, or the pacing so damningly oblique, or the motivations of the despot, Drucilla, so canned, then the book might not have felt so awkward for so long. Readers only need a moment to discern they're in for a long haul with this one.
For example, the second chapter rouses the usual fair of the heroine-to-be feuding with new allies and fleeing new foes. But in the middle of all this, the book drops a single, solitary page of Drucilla in monologue, barking platitudes to a then unidentified man in dungeon chains. This one page is so superbly out-of-place that it's almost funny.
Except, it's not. The interlacing of this one scene disrupts the story's rhythm, fails to explain or sort out the antagonist's motivations, and as one later considers, speaks to the book's poor structure on the whole. This won't be the only time one wonders if whole pages were cut or edited out of the final production . . . but as for the case with ROSE, there are other occasions in which the sequence of events is clearly off or abruptly cut short, and one is left guessing as to why.
Another example would be how a majority of the story is set in the forest. What forest, how big is it, and how close is this forest to Millhaven (the only city named in the book) or the castle (where Drucilla resides)? The details are scarce, which conveniently permits characters to either flee endlessly or to coincidentally smash into one another depending on the needs of the story. Indeed, if the boundaries of the setting are not established, then why can't Rose become lost in the forest, suddenly close he eyes and concentrate for five seconds, and then find her mythical puma familiar standing ten feet away? It's a cheap trick.
ROSE does this a lot, if not always in the same way. The titular character frequently gains new abilities (or new courage) when it suits the conflict. She is a fabled guardian and a keeper of magic, but her ignorance of her skill set makes it difficult for readers to genuinely believe she can, spontaneously, heal a man who was stabbed through the chest, among other things. Indeed, if the boundaries of the character's agency are not established, then why shouldn't she be able to shoot fire, levitate, and employ some other manner of clairvoyance or extrasensory perception? That one's a rather expensive trick.
Altogether, this is neither a consistently written nor an evenly paced book. Much of the story dynamics are rushed, and many of the character interactions are the stuff of a genre brainstorm session.
At least the art is nice. Guara has a clear talent for purposeful facial expressions and kinetic action scenes, a highly desirable combination of skills. Medieval violence seems right up this artist's wheelhouse (e.g., functional character designs, setting/environment details); too bad the script is all over the place.
A mildly tragic backstory lacking in basic detail. An afterthought of a villain character. A hopeless heroine. And an average menagerie of events whose arrangement hearkens contrivance, despite the obvious need for something more.
ROSE is a typical genre-comic whose story is way too large for its characters. In turn, the characters cannot keep up, the reader cannot keep up, and the creative team resorts to various leaps in logic or ugly, narrative conveniences to keep everything apace. In six chapters, ROSE yearns to be the heroic fantasy one can only muster after years of painstaking effort. The result is all too recognizable, which is not necessarily a good thing.
A despot in an out-of-the-way kingdom dethrones the current royalty, and uses magic to hunt and execute other magic users. Along the way, this new queen exhibits cruelty, neglect, and a thirst for power that ensures the decline of anyone not privileged to reside within her inner circle of soldiers and sycophants.
Naturally, the peasants would have it otherwise.
ROSE makes an attempt at overlaying a mythical backstory of seasoned warriors and their giant beast familiars onto the current milieu of a land in ruin. And while the tale of a young woman (Rose) whose village is burned and whom must take up arms with the local rebels is easy to digest, the pattern and rhythm of the book's Great Power Within You cliché is tiring from the onset.
Perhaps if the dialogue wasn't so gaudy and stilted, or the pacing so damningly oblique, or the motivations of the despot, Drucilla, so canned, then the book might not have felt so awkward for so long. Readers only need a moment to discern they're in for a long haul with this one.
For example, the second chapter rouses the usual fair of the heroine-to-be feuding with new allies and fleeing new foes. But in the middle of all this, the book drops a single, solitary page of Drucilla in monologue, barking platitudes to a then unidentified man in dungeon chains. This one page is so superbly out-of-place that it's almost funny.
Except, it's not. The interlacing of this one scene disrupts the story's rhythm, fails to explain or sort out the antagonist's motivations, and as one later considers, speaks to the book's poor structure on the whole. This won't be the only time one wonders if whole pages were cut or edited out of the final production . . . but as for the case with ROSE, there are other occasions in which the sequence of events is clearly off or abruptly cut short, and one is left guessing as to why.
Another example would be how a majority of the story is set in the forest. What forest, how big is it, and how close is this forest to Millhaven (the only city named in the book) or the castle (where Drucilla resides)? The details are scarce, which conveniently permits characters to either flee endlessly or to coincidentally smash into one another depending on the needs of the story. Indeed, if the boundaries of the setting are not established, then why can't Rose become lost in the forest, suddenly close he eyes and concentrate for five seconds, and then find her mythical puma familiar standing ten feet away? It's a cheap trick.
ROSE does this a lot, if not always in the same way. The titular character frequently gains new abilities (or new courage) when it suits the conflict. She is a fabled guardian and a keeper of magic, but her ignorance of her skill set makes it difficult for readers to genuinely believe she can, spontaneously, heal a man who was stabbed through the chest, among other things. Indeed, if the boundaries of the character's agency are not established, then why shouldn't she be able to shoot fire, levitate, and employ some other manner of clairvoyance or extrasensory perception? That one's a rather expensive trick.
Altogether, this is neither a consistently written nor an evenly paced book. Much of the story dynamics are rushed, and many of the character interactions are the stuff of a genre brainstorm session.
At least the art is nice. Guara has a clear talent for purposeful facial expressions and kinetic action scenes, a highly desirable combination of skills. Medieval violence seems right up this artist's wheelhouse (e.g., functional character designs, setting/environment details); too bad the script is all over the place.
November 14, 2017
Straightforward Heroine Tale
This volume, which collects the first six issues of "Rose", is an entertaining, if not especially groundbreaking, tale of magic, adventure, and the forces of good.
Our heroine, Rose, knows she has a bit of magical ability, but she keeps quiet because magic is forbidden, indeed tracked down and stamped out, in her world. After her village is destroyed she flees and eventually comes into and learns about her power. Then it's all rebel alliance, kindly old rebel leader who helps train her up, and avoiding evil minions and an evil Disney-style queen.
A few aspects of the story give it an added boost. Guardians like Rose have a lifetime, exclusive connection to a mystical warrior Khat, which conveniently enough is basically a mega-panther. While Rose follows a predictable hero path, Khat, (who reawakens when Rose is activated), is an unpredictable and cool character. Without Khat, Rose might not be interesting enough to carry this series. With Khat we get a duo worth reading about.
Beyond that, the evil queen, (named, I kid you not - Drucilla), is so over the top evil that she's a hoot whenever she's on the page. She has a seriously punk vibe and is just so crazy-bad and demonically single minded about crushing magic that she's nutsy fun to follow.
So, are there a lot of cliches and does Rose seem a little dim about her magic? Sure. But once she gets her act together and the series picks up steam it is honest fun, which was fine by me. (And I could actually read the lettering and appreciate the clear, expressive drawing, which was a serious plus.)
(Please note that I was afforded, for free, the opportunity to read an ecopy of this book, but without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
This volume, which collects the first six issues of "Rose", is an entertaining, if not especially groundbreaking, tale of magic, adventure, and the forces of good.
Our heroine, Rose, knows she has a bit of magical ability, but she keeps quiet because magic is forbidden, indeed tracked down and stamped out, in her world. After her village is destroyed she flees and eventually comes into and learns about her power. Then it's all rebel alliance, kindly old rebel leader who helps train her up, and avoiding evil minions and an evil Disney-style queen.
A few aspects of the story give it an added boost. Guardians like Rose have a lifetime, exclusive connection to a mystical warrior Khat, which conveniently enough is basically a mega-panther. While Rose follows a predictable hero path, Khat, (who reawakens when Rose is activated), is an unpredictable and cool character. Without Khat, Rose might not be interesting enough to carry this series. With Khat we get a duo worth reading about.
Beyond that, the evil queen, (named, I kid you not - Drucilla), is so over the top evil that she's a hoot whenever she's on the page. She has a seriously punk vibe and is just so crazy-bad and demonically single minded about crushing magic that she's nutsy fun to follow.
So, are there a lot of cliches and does Rose seem a little dim about her magic? Sure. But once she gets her act together and the series picks up steam it is honest fun, which was fine by me. (And I could actually read the lettering and appreciate the clear, expressive drawing, which was a serious plus.)
(Please note that I was afforded, for free, the opportunity to read an ecopy of this book, but without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
January 3, 2018
"Rose: The Last Light" AKA Fantasy Breasts: Bouncing in a Dark Setting
When I picked this book up I expected less naked Tarzanerie and more fantasy warrior chtick with good art BUT you can't even expect quality from Image Comics any more. This one is even worse than Snotgirl, mostly because of the art. Oh, it's as pretty inside as it is outside. That is, if you don't mind the EXCESSIVE fanservice in forms of boobs breasts racks titties swinging around in EVERY SINGLE PANEL.
Boobs, err Rose, the no-bra-ever protagonist (I wonder if maybe her boobs are fake because they seem way to lushly voluptuous to umm you know perk up like that, which I wish I didn't have to comment on at all) faces many lustful glances and evil enemies who are only interested in her hair color, which is a speshul, snowflakey white. Boobs is a real speshulty, because she can harness her powers via her fantastic breasts. Sure it's never explained on the pages, but there is no other logical explanation why her breasts and those of the evil queen would be on display more than the storyline. Meanwhile she is hunted for her magic while at the same time looking for her cutesy kitty (shown on the cover in a brawl that really misrepresents the docile nature of this beast) and doing stuff which make close ups of her breasts ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Even though Rose's two character attributes feature HEAVILY in this tome, they are never actually mentioned in the long, info dumping dialogues. And neither is much else of relevance.
Characters 1*
Story 1*
Dialogues 1*
Art style 4*
Boobs minus 5 megaton* (seriously what was the author thinking when she ok'd the pages???)
Now I love boobs same as everybody else but unless you call your work "Explosion of Titties!! Big Rack Central", mind your focus. in short, Rose has a fat rack but the story is flat, sorry.
When I picked this book up I expected less naked Tarzanerie and more fantasy warrior chtick with good art BUT you can't even expect quality from Image Comics any more. This one is even worse than Snotgirl, mostly because of the art. Oh, it's as pretty inside as it is outside. That is, if you don't mind the EXCESSIVE fanservice in forms of boobs breasts racks titties swinging around in EVERY SINGLE PANEL.
Boobs, err Rose, the no-bra-ever protagonist (I wonder if maybe her boobs are fake because they seem way to lushly voluptuous to umm you know perk up like that, which I wish I didn't have to comment on at all) faces many lustful glances and evil enemies who are only interested in her hair color, which is a speshul, snowflakey white. Boobs is a real speshulty, because she can harness her powers via her fantastic breasts. Sure it's never explained on the pages, but there is no other logical explanation why her breasts and those of the evil queen would be on display more than the storyline. Meanwhile she is hunted for her magic while at the same time looking for her cutesy kitty (shown on the cover in a brawl that really misrepresents the docile nature of this beast) and doing stuff which make close ups of her breasts ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Even though Rose's two character attributes feature HEAVILY in this tome, they are never actually mentioned in the long, info dumping dialogues. And neither is much else of relevance.
Characters 1*
Story 1*
Dialogues 1*
Art style 4*
Boobs minus 5 megaton* (seriously what was the author thinking when she ok'd the pages???)
Now I love boobs same as everybody else but unless you call your work "Explosion of Titties!! Big Rack Central", mind your focus. in short, Rose has a fat rack but the story is flat, sorry.
June 11, 2023
I was drawn by the cover art for this book and credit where credit is due, the art in this book is stunning. The style is charming and detailed, the characters pretty expressive, and overall you can tell the artist knows their stuff. Unfortunately, that’s where the charm of Rose ended for me. Rose is a stock standard fantasy story about a last of their kind chosen one facing off against the evil ruler. This isn’t an immediate turn off for me, but unfortunately Finch struggled to flesh out her characters beyond their basic tropes. The closest we get to learning Roses interests is in the final pages, where she casually mentions medicinal knowledge. The evil queen Drucilla is also so evil to the point of being uninteresting. She kills children. She kills advisors. She kills whole towns. It came across like Finch didn’t know how to make someone bad without them being murdering someone every other page.
Unfortunately, if you were hoping to deal with a details light story for some lovely art, I should also mention the women in this book get treated pretty roughly in the art department. I was encouraged by the fact their anatomy was realistic, but what I didn’t realize is how light the clothing is for every character. Rose gets it bad, with her tasteful battle shorts and crop top (culminating in a shot where basically her entire rear is shown—mid combat). But the real victim is Drusilla. She’s the sole woman of color in the book and boy does she suffer for it. She’s the most sexualized character of them all and it reads as uncomfortable exotifying of her, especially given she’s the main villain.
I got this book and volume two as a set, but honestly, the first volume was a slog despite how slim it was. If you’re looking for a funny feminist fantasy story that’s a little raunchy but respects it’s female characters, just read Rat Queens.
Unfortunately, if you were hoping to deal with a details light story for some lovely art, I should also mention the women in this book get treated pretty roughly in the art department. I was encouraged by the fact their anatomy was realistic, but what I didn’t realize is how light the clothing is for every character. Rose gets it bad, with her tasteful battle shorts and crop top (culminating in a shot where basically her entire rear is shown—mid combat). But the real victim is Drusilla. She’s the sole woman of color in the book and boy does she suffer for it. She’s the most sexualized character of them all and it reads as uncomfortable exotifying of her, especially given she’s the main villain.
I got this book and volume two as a set, but honestly, the first volume was a slog despite how slim it was. If you’re looking for a funny feminist fantasy story that’s a little raunchy but respects it’s female characters, just read Rat Queens.
January 29, 2018
3.5 stars
I enjoyed the world and story elements. A world in chaos and destruction under an evil tyrant. A history of magic and giant khatz to protect the people and the land. Even the heroine, Rose, is spunky if a bit naive at the beginning. She soon proves that she isn't afraid to take up a sword, or magic, to protect those she cares about.
That being said, it's hard for me to grapple with a strong female heroine and equally strong female villain, only to have them dressed in strips of cloth more revealing than a bikini.
Rose's initial dress isn't too bad, even though it hinted at a fair amount of cleavage at many opportunities. But her battle armor felt appalling and unrealistic. She wears a full chest piece that ends just above her stomach and wears basically a loin cloth for bottoms. Not only is it impractical in fighting terms (lots of bare skin left unprotected), it leads to lots of excuses for crotch and ass shots. It felt more like a teenage boy's wet dream and detracts from her strength as a heroine coming into her powers and destiny.
Similarly, the villainess Drucilla was even more scantily clad. With a loin cloth for bottoms, and two long strips of cloth strategically draped over her pointed nipples. And then long sleeves. Also utterly impractical and uncomfortable to look at.
All the men in this comic are appropriately attired for farm life or battle. Why did they choose to make the two main women barely clothed?
I'm interested in continuing the story, if not wholly original, at least interesting, but I'd prefer to see some properly dressed women for a change.
I enjoyed the world and story elements. A world in chaos and destruction under an evil tyrant. A history of magic and giant khatz to protect the people and the land. Even the heroine, Rose, is spunky if a bit naive at the beginning. She soon proves that she isn't afraid to take up a sword, or magic, to protect those she cares about.
That being said, it's hard for me to grapple with a strong female heroine and equally strong female villain, only to have them dressed in strips of cloth more revealing than a bikini.
Rose's initial dress isn't too bad, even though it hinted at a fair amount of cleavage at many opportunities. But her battle armor felt appalling and unrealistic. She wears a full chest piece that ends just above her stomach and wears basically a loin cloth for bottoms. Not only is it impractical in fighting terms (lots of bare skin left unprotected), it leads to lots of excuses for crotch and ass shots. It felt more like a teenage boy's wet dream and detracts from her strength as a heroine coming into her powers and destiny.
Similarly, the villainess Drucilla was even more scantily clad. With a loin cloth for bottoms, and two long strips of cloth strategically draped over her pointed nipples. And then long sleeves. Also utterly impractical and uncomfortable to look at.
All the men in this comic are appropriately attired for farm life or battle. Why did they choose to make the two main women barely clothed?
I'm interested in continuing the story, if not wholly original, at least interesting, but I'd prefer to see some properly dressed women for a change.
May 13, 2018
I liked the art, and I thought the story was interesting enough to pick up the next volume. Looking back the world building elements were great, I think the "evil woman" vs the "pure woman" is very stereotypical, and also denied the main protagonist Rose a chance of any character building. I think the lack of substance and continuity in her character is disguised well by the constant action, which begins from the first page.
None of those things bothered me overly as this is the first volume, but what does bother me is that once again a male artist overly sexualizes and under clothed the females. It makes me feel like I wasn't intended to pick this comic up, that it is for the male gaze. The story would have been at least 75% better if there was more clothing, seems petty, but I really would like realistic representation. No one would choose a cloth bikini to fight in, that is purely for asshats to look at, and I find that disturbing, as the writer is a female. I think it's disrespectful to take the women a woman creates and basically strip them.
None of those things bothered me overly as this is the first volume, but what does bother me is that once again a male artist overly sexualizes and under clothed the females. It makes me feel like I wasn't intended to pick this comic up, that it is for the male gaze. The story would have been at least 75% better if there was more clothing, seems petty, but I really would like realistic representation. No one would choose a cloth bikini to fight in, that is purely for asshats to look at, and I find that disturbing, as the writer is a female. I think it's disrespectful to take the women a woman creates and basically strip them.
May 5, 2022
This is one of those books that I find hard to rate because it's ... fine. It's fine. The story is fine, the world is fine. All perfectly acceptable. The story works, the characters have enough flesh that they're not -just- tropes. The art ... I actually like the art pretty well. It's varied and expressive, even if I didn't care for a lot of the character designs. But it's not good enough that I would recommend the book for the art.
This is a story about a world where a series of guardians are bound to powerful felines (called khatz.) get defeated and overtaken, leaving only one of these magical cats running free. And it's up to this khat and our hero, Rose, to try to defeat the evil Drucilla and save the world.
I was trying to get into this, but I'm afraid it just felt too formulaic to me. I felt like I'd seen everything in here before, and while it was done fine here, it was done in a far more compelling way in other stories. It's not bad, but there also wasn't anything to captivating that I'll probably return for volume 2.
This is a story about a world where a series of guardians are bound to powerful felines (called khatz.) get defeated and overtaken, leaving only one of these magical cats running free. And it's up to this khat and our hero, Rose, to try to defeat the evil Drucilla and save the world.
I was trying to get into this, but I'm afraid it just felt too formulaic to me. I felt like I'd seen everything in here before, and while it was done fine here, it was done in a far more compelling way in other stories. It's not bad, but there also wasn't anything to captivating that I'll probably return for volume 2.
April 16, 2019
I am disappointed because I didn't like this graphic novel. The story sounded so good and promising but this story didn't impress me. The plot was full of typical fantasy tropes and the tropes weren't well done. We didn't get any world building or any explanation of the magic system which annoyed me. I also didn't like the main character Rose but she wasn't the biggest problem for me. I think that this story is problematic when THE ONLY ethnic character was THE VILLAIN and all the other characters were white. The villain was stereotype without personality which made this thing even more problematic.
I also didn't care for the art. This comic is aimed to men who like to see half naked women. The half naked women were totally unnecessary and they didn't bring anything to the story. I couldn't focus on the story because the art was distracting me with side breasts, almost bare butts etc. The distraction wasn't welcome and that's why I am NOT going to continue this series.
I also didn't care for the art. This comic is aimed to men who like to see half naked women. The half naked women were totally unnecessary and they didn't bring anything to the story. I couldn't focus on the story because the art was distracting me with side breasts, almost bare butts etc. The distraction wasn't welcome and that's why I am NOT going to continue this series.
September 19, 2018
Rose is vintage fantasy storytelling - a hero must rise from nothing to conquer the evil overlord who rules the land. There's a magical system that has been long suppressed. There's a small band of rebels who are attempting to stop the evil one's cruelty. The only way that Rose stands out, really, is in the addition of giant felines that can bond with magic users. They are called - wait for it - khats.
So, that's definitely the worst bit of Rose. Any time a character mentions the term "khat" in relation to these giant cats, I chuckled. It's so obvious and dumb! Where's the editor there? Any other term would have been better. Otherwise, Rose is perfectly satisfying in a very low-intensity way. It hits all the major plot points of a fantasy epic and the art is gorgeous. Nothing unique, but I can't say I didn't have a bit of fun.
So, that's definitely the worst bit of Rose. Any time a character mentions the term "khat" in relation to these giant cats, I chuckled. It's so obvious and dumb! Where's the editor there? Any other term would have been better. Otherwise, Rose is perfectly satisfying in a very low-intensity way. It hits all the major plot points of a fantasy epic and the art is gorgeous. Nothing unique, but I can't say I didn't have a bit of fun.
November 5, 2018
Honestly, this was kinda a letdown. The graphic novels follows Rose, a magic user and potential guardian in a land, where magic has been outlawed. Guardians are magic wielders who bond with Khats, I'm assuming magical beasts and protect the land. For some reason, the Khats began to disappear and the land fell into poverty and what have you. The sorceress/queen, Drucilla is hellbent on eliminating all those who have the potential to be guardians and this happens to include our protagonist, Rose.
However, Rose is clueless and it's kinda annoying. She wields magic, but doesn't think she could be a guardian, often runs off to take revenge even though she can't use a sword and then suddenly accepts her role as guardian, which maybe should have been saved for another volume. Overall, just felt a little rushed.
However, Rose is clueless and it's kinda annoying. She wields magic, but doesn't think she could be a guardian, often runs off to take revenge even though she can't use a sword and then suddenly accepts her role as guardian, which maybe should have been saved for another volume. Overall, just felt a little rushed.
October 30, 2017
I really wanted to like this, which made the book itself somewhat of a let down. This book felt predictably chosen-one-is-called-to-destiny that fantasy that does very little to separate itself from the genre as a whole. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters and nothing in the plot was new or taken in any other directions.
In short, this is the start of a fairly derivative fantasy narrative that might appeal/be marketed to children - if it didn't feature a lot of gratuitous cleavage and oddly placed sexiness of the art (which isn't in itself a bad thing but didn't seem like a good tonal fit to the story) where it was unnecessary or felt forced. It was just mediocre fantasy with no hook, unfortunately.
In short, this is the start of a fairly derivative fantasy narrative that might appeal/be marketed to children - if it didn't feature a lot of gratuitous cleavage and oddly placed sexiness of the art (which isn't in itself a bad thing but didn't seem like a good tonal fit to the story) where it was unnecessary or felt forced. It was just mediocre fantasy with no hook, unfortunately.
February 22, 2018
Women written comic was meant to be a yay! And this ended up being a nay on so many levels. The art by Ig Guara is the comics only redeeming feature and even then, do we seriously need to talk about armour? Because currently any fight she gets into she should be slashed up to pieces and bleeding from a lot of arteries.
The story telling on the other hand is just bad. Every single cliché from pulp fantasy back in the day is crammed into there. Chosen one - with special hair colour? Check. Evil sorceress - with little motivation? Check. Ability to use sword without any training? Check.
And that's without getting into the dialogue.
It had the potential to be a modern day take on some really sexist tropes, and it fell into them instead.
The story telling on the other hand is just bad. Every single cliché from pulp fantasy back in the day is crammed into there. Chosen one - with special hair colour? Check. Evil sorceress - with little motivation? Check. Ability to use sword without any training? Check.
And that's without getting into the dialogue.
It had the potential to be a modern day take on some really sexist tropes, and it fell into them instead.
September 29, 2018
This might be closer to a 2.5 for me. I really wanted to like it more, but... The story isn't anything special, kind of an average fantasy story. The coloring is beautiful and most of the art is also good. But, for heaven's sake, the protagonist, Rose, and the antagonist, evil Queen Drucilla, are drawn with ginormous chests, lots of gratuitous T & A angles, and wearing clothing completely impractical for their roles. I mean, the front of Drucilla's "outfit" is two strips of cloth hanging over her shoulders to barely cover her nipples and then a belt of skulls with a loincloth. Also, barbed wire winding around her body. And Rose's is a little better, but definitely not the kind of outfit and armor she should have had for what she was doing.
March 11, 2019
Man, I really wanted to like this, but I think Monstress has spoiled me for female representation in epic comics. WHY ARE THERE ONLY FOUR WOMEN IN THIS? JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE POWERFUL DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE TO BE THE ONLY ONES IN THE UNIVERSE. Also, this does a lot of the high fantasy stuff I find extremely exhausting – the ridiculous spelling of "khatz," so much exposition monologuing, characters with little to no complexity. Why is Rose's armor sexy??? Why was there an up-skirt panel in the middle of a battle(/at all)? Also, why does Drucilla wear barbed wire around her almost-naked body? I picked this up because the second volume was on a best of 2018 list, so I may continue this at some point but...ugh.
March 1, 2020
I gave it a 2 because I generally like the art and had its core ideas been implemented and not thrown around haphazardly, it may have amounted to something.
As is, it is one huge mess. There is no cohesion to the characters. Friendships and allegiances form and shift in days, if not hours. Rose, the protagonist, goes from clueless, helpless country girl to enlightened messianic figure in zero time, and the great magic of the world is people with Big Cats, literally named Khatz.
As for the Big Bad, it's a mostly nude demented woman who epitomizes the "bwahahaha I'm so evil" villain.
A real shame especially for the Fallen. They could have shined darkly as terrible and tragic villains.
As is, it is one huge mess. There is no cohesion to the characters. Friendships and allegiances form and shift in days, if not hours. Rose, the protagonist, goes from clueless, helpless country girl to enlightened messianic figure in zero time, and the great magic of the world is people with Big Cats, literally named Khatz.
As for the Big Bad, it's a mostly nude demented woman who epitomizes the "bwahahaha I'm so evil" villain.
A real shame especially for the Fallen. They could have shined darkly as terrible and tragic villains.
January 15, 2018
Well... this was bad. Really bad. It as like a housespouse got an idea for a story and was in a bubble of like minded housespouses who encouraged her to pursue the now somewhat twisted idea for a story to a stable GN format... It was very difficult to read, because I kept cringing. I don't want to be too harsh (which I have probably already been) but these were the kind of stories I would make up when I was 12 - full of cliche, too convenient, not much depth, and really just for the author. I'm not sure how this made it to full GN format.
Plus one star for 50% of the art, which was good, but gratuitously busty.
Plus one star for 50% of the art, which was good, but gratuitously busty.
February 21, 2019
It's always more disappointing to me when women writers (though I'm not sure how much control they have over the artists) have characters like this - I mean, underwear battle costumes, for example. Also the main character seems this far pretty stereotypic female fantasy hero - not of the brawny variety, but the clumsy, emotional type. Her character traits seem inconsistent and I don't dare hope that's a well thought-out depiction of trauma. Well if it is, then I'll give it credit, but this far there's a rather generic female villain (also mostly naked), a rather generic protagonist and not much else going on for it. Not bad, but surely in the middle grounds.
February 13, 2020
I'd give it a 6/10.
I was looking something like this to read. A classic fantasy story, female lead, epic elements... but it's not just a classic story, it's a chain of clichés. And it reaches its lowest level when you learn about the race of legendary companions called Kats. Yeah, as in cats. Get it? ha-ha.
The dialogues felt very insipid, and the story is very monotone. Nothing is new, it feels the story was written in a couple of hours out of what you think it should happen in any generic fantasy story.
I'd recommend it to someone who doesn't have anything better to read and likes fantasy.
I was looking something like this to read. A classic fantasy story, female lead, epic elements... but it's not just a classic story, it's a chain of clichés. And it reaches its lowest level when you learn about the race of legendary companions called Kats. Yeah, as in cats. Get it? ha-ha.
The dialogues felt very insipid, and the story is very monotone. Nothing is new, it feels the story was written in a couple of hours out of what you think it should happen in any generic fantasy story.
I'd recommend it to someone who doesn't have anything better to read and likes fantasy.
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