So usually I just pick a comic to review and hope for a winner and well folks, I’ve found it. Amala’s Blade is a keeper.  I was already locked in by the cover art of a kick-ass chick adorned in grubby armor. As you may know I’m always a fan of a female lead in comics and I think Amala’s Blade would go over well with fans of Legend of Korra. Though I hope Nickelodeon doesn’t try to make a watered down version of it. Amala’s Blade is the story of a young assassin who is haunted by her past victims. Amala was supposed to be this leader that would bring two warring sides together but her destiny had other plans for her. I would love to see Steve Horton and Michael Dialynas make a spin-off miniseries about the history of the war.  Purifiers and Modifers create this new world that has been wrecked by twenty years of war though Spirits of the Naamaron was pretty vague on how all that came about.

There are so many elements of this story that I love, such as the bit of a steampunk vibe with the flying contraptions and mechanical pirate beings. The momentum in the story keeps it rolling without it dragging on; every scene contributes to the development of the story. Also a major theme I found was the humanity; Amala has to confront her victims’ ghost following her and not becoming a mindless killer for the war.

Dialynas expertly plays on the eerie pirate mood with his illustrations which just gives power to Amala; like you could feel the cold draft on the ship while she’s kicking some pirate robot booty. Each chapter is provided with a map of the purifier and modifier territories which again would make for a really good origins series. The art collaborates well with the story and makes it an overall enjoyable experience. Dialynas and Horton keep up the good work!

Score: 4/5

Author: Steve Horton Artist: Michael Dialynas Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $18.99 Release Date: 1/22/14