Dynamite Entertainment 2018
Written by Crystal Frasier
Illustrated by Tom Garcia
Coloured by Morgan Hickman
Lettered by Thomas Napolitano
Starfinder
Written by Erik Mona
Illustrated by Diego Galindo
Coloured by Mohan
As the Pathfinder plunge into the history and mysteries below Kaer Maga—the no-holds-barred 'City of Strangers'—Valeros plunges far deeper into the great beyond, defending his immortal soul in the courts of the dead! From Pathfinder author Crystal Frasier comes this scintillating tale of life, death, and what lingers when we're gone. Bonus: Starfinder backup story! Thousands of years in Pathfinder’s future, the Starfinder Society spreads adventure across the solar system!
Well this is off to a fantastic start and I like that Crystal is so familiar with the franchise, yes I looked her up because I wasn’t familiar with her name. That we start off this issue in the middle of a fight is one way to immediately grab our attention. Also it’s a great way to add a new character to the mix even if it’s only for one arc. I do like that idea too because it’s always nice if they leave on good terms and have friends in many places to turn to should they need that.
Crystal does a wonderful job with how she has structured this book. There is a very natural ebb & flow to the proceedings and yes it does feel like we are in the midst of a campaign and that is fantastic. It does make me want to play and if you’ve never experienced the camaraderie of a campaign then you really are missing out but this will definitely give you the feeling of what is its like. I do like the whole set up of how the story itself is told and how the team splitting up to do their various tasks makes it seem so mundane and ordinary.
Well the characterisation here is pretty darn spectacular too. From the introduction of Imrijka to the traces of jealousy that unexpectedly flashes through the separation of the team and how that is seen by them. I am enjoying seeing new aspects of the characters through their words and actions here and Crystal really brings out the qualities that make the characters more relatable to regardless of what mythical species they are.
I love Tom’s work on the interiors and Morgan really brings it to life with the colouring. The attention to detail that we see is amazing and considering it’s the same whether it’s a smaller panel or a larger one we still see the same features. The way that page layouts are utilised and that we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a stellar eye for storytelling. Also that I am huge supporter of using backgrounds it makes me so very happy to see how they are done here. They certainly make each moment come alive more fully and for that I am grateful.
Honestly this is another great example of why I think more people should be reading this series and that’s because it mimics the way superhero teams are done. People have a special set of skills or abilities they work together to overcome a greater threat and bicker like lifelong friends or lovers. There is also the penchant for colourful dress and/or equipment. There isn’t all that much that separates the two genres and I wish more people would understand that.
I think Dynamite has the right idea here though by just telling arcs in limited series format. This way there isn’t the deadline problems and by the time the next arc comes out it has time for me as a reader to get excited for it. I am more than enthusiastic about what’s going to happen next and throughout this arc as this is what adventuring is all about.