It’s the day of Princess Anya’s wedding… and it’s about to be the worst day of her life. Your Major Spoilers review of Quest #1 from Image Comics awaits!
QUEST #1
Writer: Crystal Wood/Jonathan Luna
Artist: Jonathan Luna
Colorist: Jonathan Luna
Letterer: Jonathan Luna
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 2, 2023
Previously in Quest: Princess Anya’s new husband Prince Devyan is violently abducted by three giant demons at their wedding. Anya sets out on an epic journey with a growing band of loyal warriors, crossing deadly landscapes and battling horrifying demons. What will she sacrifice to save the man she loves?
A WEDDING AND A TRAGEDY
In the land of Yachai, an auspicious day has dawned. The wedding of Devyan and Anya is the capstone to three decades of peace in the land, uniting two kingdoms in harmony… until the demons arrive! Prince Devyan is taken, causing strife between his father and King Sunan, and nearly splintering their alliance, until Anya herself takes the lead. Demanding to lead the search party for her new husband, Anya defuses the conflict, as both leaders emphatically tell her no. She’s not the kind of woman to take that as her answer, though, and with the help of her bodyguard (who is quite obviously in love with her), Anya dons her battle togs and sets out to restore peace and her new spouse.
Too bad that the demonic triad known as The Iniquitous have other plans.
GENUIIIINE MOOOOOMENTS
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Luna’s art on an ongoing project, and it’s interesting to see how his work has progressed and changed over the years. The ceremony itself is beautiful, while the arrival of the demons is treated with great respect. Anya herself has a broad range of emotions, but various characters are sometimes hard to tell apart, especially Prince Devyan and bodyguard Tor. The meeting of the kings and queens required me to keep close track of who was wearing what accessories to keep everyone straight in my mind. Anya’s story isn’t your typical high fantasy fairy tale, subverting the handsome princes seeking the princess in distress, but aside from the gender inversion and the South Asian setting, this issue follows the expected formula. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the decision to end this issue with Tor and Anya running off against the king’s wishes, with a “To Be Continued” makes for a frustrating cliffhanger.
BOTTOM LINE: I’LL BE BACK FOR MORE
Even with what feels like an imperfect breaking point serving as the cliffhanger, Quest #1 has a lot going for it, providing an interesting launching point that easily goes to an unexpected place, and while I would have liked more of this in the debut issue, it’s still well-done, to the tune of 3 out of 5 stars overall. There is a lot of the proverbial world-building in here, but it’s all revealed within a story that engages and intrigues. Any issue that leaves you wishing there was more of it can’t be bad.
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QUEST #1
A good blend of world-building and character moments sets off a classic hero's journey, but the breaking point of this issue's script feels a bit too early. It's another example where a double-sized debut issue would have been more satisfying to read.
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Writing6
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Art7
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Coloring6
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