Kaya and Jin are safe with the Lizard Riders for now. Can Kaya pull her weight enough to earn a reward in their monster hunt, and can she keep her temper in check? Find out in Kaya #2 from Image Comics!

KAYA #2

Writer: Wes Craig
Artist: Wes Craig
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Andworld Design
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 9, 2022

Previously in Kaya: Kaya and her little brother Jin are the last survivors of their village. Jin has an important future, and Kaya is determined to get him to a safe haven. First, they need to get to a trading post and trade for food. When they arrive, they find the town deserted. They are caught by a band of Lizard Riders, but one of them, Seth, recognizes Kaya. Her uncle was a blood brother to his clan. The Lizard Riders’ leader, Zothan, is angered when Seth declares the humans to be under his protection. Seth’s people are here to hunt a dangerous creature, the Magron, and he asks for Kaya’s help. She may be willing to do so, but she is not so willing to ask for help for herself and Jin.

EVEN FRIENDSHIPS CHANGE

Kaya #2 opens as the Lizard Riders are caught in a flash flood at night. Zothan orders them one way, while Seth recommends a different path. Not only is Seth’s choice the better one, but Zothan loses his mount. Kaya risks her life to go after it and save it. Now by their law and custom, it is her mount. She already has some conflict with Zothan, and this does not help.

They lost their food in the raging waters, so the next day Seth, Kaya, and Zothan go hunting. They leave Jin with Seth’s uncle Bulba, who is a shaman. Seth swears the little boy will be safe. They reach the ancestral hunting grounds of the Lizard Riders, a verdant land filled with the remains of several ancient ruins. Seth talks about how incredible it is that he and Kaya found each other again, almost as if there is a hint of romance between them.

Kaya asks Seth why he brought Zothan along. Zothan wanted to sell Jin, and he does not want to make peace with others. But he is destined to become the next ruler. While Zothan wants to return to the old ways, the current Queen does not. Seth feels this is an opportunity for Zothan to see humans, as well as the outside world, differently.

Zothan offers a wager to Seth – whoever spears their food today gets the other’s share of money from killing the Magron. Seth does not take him up on it, but Kaya does. Zothan does not want to bet with a “lowly human.” A nearby rustle gets their attention – Jin has snuck out after them. They cannot take him on the hunt. Kaya grudgingly gets ready to take him back, but Zothan taunts her about giving up the bet. Seth offers to take the little boy back. On the way, Jin says he heard that Seth is engaged and urges him to tell Kaya about it.

Meanwhile, Zothan taunts Kaya about Seth’s being in love with her, and then hints that Seth has royal “obligations” back home. The wild boar they are hunting sneaks up on them and butts Kaya off the edge of the cliff. She manages to grab hold of a tree. Zothan will not help her up unless she gives him her arm, so she falls. He continues the hunt on his own, and the boar charges him when he is not ready. But Kaya is nearby and gets a clean shot with her bow. In a surprise move, Zothan begs her to let him have the credit. He claims he has not caught anything since they left home, and the others are starting to question his abilities. Kaya agrees but insists on a cash share for hunting the Magron.

There is feasting that night at camp, but Zothan confronts the shaman. Do they really want peace with the people of Goro Bay?

INTO THE BROADER WORLD

The art of Kaya #2 shows us that there is much more to this world than the desert we saw last time. The nighttime flash flood is an exciting way to open the book which also changes the terrain. This also sets up the contrast for when Kaya and Seth reach the ancestral hunting grounds. We get a full-page vista from a high vantage point, so the scene has a lot of depth and distance built in. Compared to the desert, this area looks lush and green. But there are so many ruins in it that we wonder about the history of the people who once lived here.

I like the way the Lizard Riders are depicted. They are all individuals with their own looks and features. Some of them have what looks like a shock of hair on their heads while others have spines. The Shaman is clearly much older than the others and looks it. I really like the contrast between Seth and Zothan. Zothan’s spines fit his spiky personality. He is abrasive and tries to make an impression, but we see his moments of fear and uncertainty. Seth is a natural contrast, someone who appears much calmer and more confident, as though he knows he does not have to prove anything.

BOTTOM LINE: UNEASY COMPROMISES

Kaya #2 takes us from a straightforward quest into a situation that examines people’s prejudices along with whether their outlook is more toward the future or the past. This gives this fantasy story a timely feel that lends the plot additional richness.

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Kaya #2

80%

80%

Feels Timely

Kaya’s decision to help her friend make life for her and Jin a little more complicated.

• Writing

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• Art

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• Coloring

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