Kaya decides to rescue the Princess and hopes that the rebels can hold off the King’s Army. But when the Princess goes back on her end of the bargain, can Kaya find another way out of town? Find out in Kaya #18 from Image Comics!

KAYA #18

Writer: Wes Craig
Artist: Wes Craig
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: AW’s Tom Napolitano
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 1, 2024

Previously in Kaya: Jin has drunk from the Holy Springs and is back in the Dark Realms. To save him, Kaya must retrieve the Red Lotus from deep underwater. To find it is no problem, but as she swims back to the surface, plant tendrils grab her. In the castle, Princess Ell-Juna and her friends attempt to escape. The Princess orders her friends to head for the sewers while she attempts to hold off their pursuers. Kaya gets unexpected help from Varia, who dives in and helps free her. The medicine the priests make from the lotus frees Jin from his nightmare of the Dark Realms. The Princess’s friends return with the gold. Then the temple is attacked. Kaya comes up with a plan to get the Princess back.

SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS

As Kaya #18 opens, Kaya, Jin, and Varia set out to get the Princess. The clock is ticking if Kaya intends to catch the ship that sails at dawn. Meanwhile, the King’s army continues to attack the tower, and the rebels sneak out to counter-attack them from behind. At the intersection in the sewers, Kaya climbs up to the tunnel leading to the castle and is tackled back to the waters below by the Princess. Varia is overjoyed to see her. Ell-Juna quickly explains how she got away and then insists they climb back up to find the bag of gold she dropped. Once they are all searching, she triggers a trap door that dumps Jin and Kaya into another pit.

Kaya orders Jin to transform and he tries but can only manage to become a small bird. The being in the Dark Realm is intrigued and sends him a boon. The robots who appeared look for Jin but cannot find him. Princess Ell-Juna explains to Varia that if she gives Jin to the Atrians, they will leave the temple alone. Varia reminds her that Jin is the Golden One.

The boon allows Jin to transform into a dragon. He attacks the Atrians and flies out of the pit with his sister before collapsing and turning back into himself. Kaya reaches the tunnel intersection where Varia now directs them to the tunnel that will lead them back to the temple. Instead, Kaya grabs the key from her and opens the gate to the tunnel that leads to the city walls. As she closes the gate behind them, they see a bunch of Atrians take the tunnel that leads to the temple.

Varia turns on Kaya in anger. Kaya explains that Jin will bring down the Atrians, at least he will someday. But they cannot get caught up in every small fight along the way. But Varia still feels betrayed. They are only greedy humans after all. They do not live up to the ideal she believes in.

On the streets, the rebels overcome the King’s army. But deep within the temple, Sister Rea is one of few who realize that the Atrians have breached the tunnels. The Holy Springs are at risk of becoming a commodity, not a common good. She sets the waters loose.

Kaya and Jin race for the city walls but are chased by Atrians. Kaya orders Jin to transform again to get them out. He informs her that he cannot. He no longer has the power. It does not work that way. Kaya is desperate, and she made another plan on the fly. Just in case the Princess would not hold up her end of the bargain, Kaya grabbed a bunch of gold, enough to pay for their passage, if they can reach the ship on time.

FRACTURED FRIENDSHIPS

The art of Kaya #18 is action-packed and full of emotion. Princess Ell-Juna’s appearance is a veritable jump-scare and the fall from the tunnel to the waters below seems completely legit. This entrance is entirely in keeping with the Princess as we have come to know her, as is her two-second explanation about her escape and her immediate return up to the tunnel to grab her bag of gold. This works as a trap for Kaya and Jin not just because the story says so, but because we buy into her actions just as much – and when all is said and done, we are also not surprised that the Princess would have agreed to sell Jin out.

When Kaya and Jin find themselves surrounded by Atrians, Kaya attacks with full confidence, a confidence that extends to Jin’s abilities. She has come around to believe in him as the Golden One. When she orders him to transform, we see that a bird is the best he can manage, and that bird is almost immediately struck down by one of the Atrians. Still, powerless as he may feel, he pushes himself to get back up, and this is what catches the attention of the Dark Realm. It is as though the entity there is playing with Jin, and I love the way it sets up the surprise dragon.

BOTTOM LINE: LIVING WITH SNAP DECISIONS

Kaya #18 is a thrilling end to a story arc that deals with a lot of complications and the character growth that comes with disillusionment. But it is how people deal with their tribulations that makes their story interesting.

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Kaya #18

80%

80%

Thrilling!

Time is running out for Kaya and Jin want to sail out on the morning tide.

• Writing

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• Art

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• Coloring

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