Zawa + the Belly of the Beast #1 Review

By Christopher RondeauNovember 14, 20233 Mins Read

The guardian spirit, Zawa, is trapped in a pollution-spewing factory. Find out if Zawa can escape in Zawa + the Belly of the Beast #1 by BOOM! Studios!

ZAWA + THE BELLY OF THE BEAST #1 (OF 5)

Writer: Michael Dialynas
Artist: Michael Dialynas
Colorist: Michael Dialynas
Letterer: Michael Dialynas
Editor: Eric Harburn
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: November 8th, 2023

Previously in Zawa: Check out the new series written by award-winning and Wisner Award-nominated cartoonist Michael Dialynas.

A NEW GUARDIAN

Zawa + the Belly of the Beast #1 introduces us to a creature imprisoned and a family. This family lives in Mesa’s Boon, sometimes called the Mountain. Bandit is a cook who seems to have a knack for baking despite not having the best ingredients, and his sister, Thatcher, is humorous and confident. They are friends with Leo, who helps them make deliveries. Bandit and Thatcher’s dad used to cook in the factories before he passed, and their mom works long hours and comes home exhausted. However, the kids plan to rob a factory this evening to search for fresh ingredients. Leo keeps watch while Bandit and Thatcher search around. Bandit finds a pantry but is caught by guards and jumps down the garbage chute. When he lands, he sees a scary creature and runs off, unintentionally freeing the monster.

BLANK SHEETS

I struggled to get a beat on the characterization of Thatcher and Leo. In a way, there wasn’t enough time to explore these characters fully, but personality-wise, all three children seem very similar. Despite that, Bandit is the only character I can see with a clear goal and hobby. Because of this, I wasn’t terribly invested in their quest to steal from a factory. In fact, the main interest point is the narrator’s perspective on the guardian of this town and of Zawa. So, I hope they lean into that in the next issue.

I will say, though, that Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1 has some great art. I like the story’s visual elements and the colors used. I felt the exhaustion of the mother and the optimism of the kids. And there was a panel where Zawa went from looking scary to happy. Great work on the visual rhetoric of the comic.

BOTTOM LINE: A LOT OF PROMISE

I like the story’s premise, and I think it has a lot of promise, but I wonder if a single issue is enough page count to introduce an ensemble cast while also getting to the inciting incident. Maybe all first issues should be double-sized to give the space these books need. Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1 gets a 3.5 out of 5 stars, and I am optimistic that we will become more attached to the characters with more pages in future issues.

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