Anya and her bodyguard, Tor, embark on a journey to the Demon Lands to save her husband, Devyan. Before them are terrifying creatures; behind them are parents who want to “save” her. Check it out in Quest #2 by Image Comics!
QUEST #2
Writer: Jonathan Luna and Crystal Wood
Artist: Jonathan Luna
Colorist: Jonathan Luna
Letterer: Jonathan Luna
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 6th, 2023
Previously in Quest: On Anya and Devyan’s wedding day, they were attacked by three demons, and Devyan was taken. Instead of taking decisive action, Anya’s parents decided they needed to devise a clear plan before making any moves. Anya disagreed and snuck out with her bodyguard, Tor, to save her husband, ignoring her father’s orders.
Quest #2 starts with Anya and Tor stealing royal mounts to journey to the demon lands. On the way there, they realize they are being followed by Devyan’s bodyguard, Nuru, who joins the quest. Meanwhile, both rulers send a party to save the Princess before she throws her life away. At the Demon Lands Border, they must cross a large river. They share a meal with Mae, who talks about a library on the demon’s side. After failing to find anyone to take them across, the trio steals a boat and encounters their first monster, a cow-like creature with tentacles that nearly gets the better of Anya. Despite that, Anya strengthens her resolve and continues forward.
I love fantasy comics; many of those tropes translate well to the page. I went in blind for Quest #2 without a fundamental understanding of the story and have not read the first issue. It is unmistakably inspired by Southeast Asia and has themes of romance and friendship. Being Chinese, I rarely see Eastern fantasy in my readings, so I was all on board. But I can’t deny that some of these tropes sometimes feel a little cliché. Anya seems a little hot-headed and is tamed a bit by her bodyguard. Yet even if we have seen this story over and over again, I think watching the art style of Jonathan Luna gives it enough uniqueness to keep it fresh. Overall, I’m pleased with picking up this book, but I want to see more character development in future issues from Anya and her two companions.
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into when I picked up Quest #2, but I am pleasantly surprised with what I got. This shows a lot of heart and promise, and I hope they take more risks in upcoming issues. With that in mind, this comic is a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.
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Quest #2
Quest #2 has a lot of heart and soul that falls into classic fantasy tropes with a Southeast Asian aesthetic.
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com