Heroes of Skyrealm sounds like a fun story from the start. This comic is a tie-in to the mobile game of the same name, serving as a prequel to the events of the video game world. So thankfully, you don't really need to know anything about the game to get into it. Which works, because I didn't even know there was a game until I started researching the comic. The story opens up with an Invoker named Darius, rocking out. Riding along with an airship, Krieger, the superior officer of Darius questions his performance, only to be interrupted by the threat of pirates! Needless to say, hijinks are about to ensue when your main characters' first bit of dialogue are pop lyrics.
From a first glance, the art is quite eye-catching. Genzoman drew a cover that just draws you in the second you see it. The colors are vibrant, and the characters immediately make an impression from their first appearance. A great first outing for Aditya and Ilariya Gelli. Everyone has a unique voice that and appearance that might feel a little bit out of place in other books but feels oddly right for the world. Every bit of the art for this book looks incredible. From the jump, I'm a fan of a lot of the artistic talent involved and want to find more from them.
The story itself sounds like the kind of story you'd imagine involving pirates (sky or sea) and while simple, does the job of keeping me interested. Edwin McRae wrote a story that feels like a bit like an anime. Eureka 7 is one that comes to mind, with a little Trigun thrown in. Unfortunately, things aren't milk and honey with this book.
While the story and art are top-notch, the script is a bit lacking in places. It feels as though for every Galleon and Darius, there's a Krieger. The dialogue can, at times, be fun to read such as when Yuhai goes on a very believable pirate speech. Other times, it can feel a bit jarring, like when Krieger goes from calm and collected to more a "dude" in places. But to be fair, these instances are few and far between and don't truly take away from the overall feel of the characters. Overall, though, Rik Hoskin did a fine job finding the voice for these characters.
In truth, it's unlikely I'll play Heroes of Skyrealm. However, I do like the story, and the comic has me curious as to the next issue. If you're looking for a book that's fun, funny, and going to seriously give you something new to look at, this is a book worth picking up. And maybe a game worth playing.
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Heroes of Skyrealm #1 Writer: Rik Hoskin Artist: Ilaria Gelli Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Format: Ongoing; Digital
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