Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince #2
Titan Comics 2018
Written by V.E. Schwab
Illustrated by Andrea Olimpieri
Coloured by Enrica Eren Angiolini
Colour Assists by Viviana Spinelli
Lettered by Rob Steen
STORY SO FAR:
Decades after the worlds have come apart, Red London is peaceful and thriving under the Maresh Empire. Believing that one day the magic separating the different worlds would come undone, Prince Maxim is searching the land for powerful magicians who can travel between those realms. Frustrated by his son’s negligence of their own kingdom, King Nokil banishes Maxim to Verose, also known as the Blood Coast, to redirect his focus. Upon his arrival, Maxim encounters rough bandits, hoodlums, and worst of all, the unruly soldiers of the royal military. However, his troubles don’t end there, as a ship with a dangerous looking crew has docked at the harbor…
I like the way that this opens because we’ve all dreamed of being or seeing the one who humbles an arrogant member of the Royal family. Okay arrogant is extra special but any Royal really is someone you want to say you’ve “bested” in some way, take Prince William at Eton playing Rugby as a good example. Maxim is one of the more arrogant SOB’s around and I love that about him because he’s going to need to be humbled and while yes Isra is best one suited for that job the two of them seem to have a lot to learn. So the character evolution here is primed and ready to really begin and that is more than a little exciting.
I like the way that this is structured. From the opening to the ending what we see and what we learn is done in such a way that the flow created is extremely easy to enjoy. While I haven’t read the novels that these are taken from I know it isn’t easy to adapt a novel to make sense in such a limited amount of space but since she wrote them who better than Schwab to take on the task? I like how the Pirate Queen arrives to port and how we learn about her, who she is and why she’s so dangerous. This is part of not only the ease of storytelling but the characterisation of Isra and Maxim as well. There is a way that this is told so that it gets under your skin and becomes a part of you and that kind of writing is pretty rare.
I do very much enjoy the interior artwork here. The utilisation of the linework through it’s varying weights creates a very stylised look. That stylisation also creates a fair amount of attention to detail in the characters and the city beyond to really showcase this world. Enrica Eren adds some amazing colours to this too and when the individual magic’s are shown in their varying colours with this level of gradation is simply spectacular stuff. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels showcases an amazing eye for storytelling. The way that backgrounds are utilised expands the story, the moment and shows us a size and scope to the story that is great to see.
This is such a strong story in a way that requires thinking, paying attention and really listening to both what is being said and what isn’t. An uneasy alliance turning into an even more uneasy partnership and what that means for these two characters remains to be seen. I don’t know if this will follow tradition and they become friends, not lovers as she’s a lesbian, who develop that strong connection and bond with one another or if they will remains at arms length which is what I'd prefer.
Welcome to a world where the Royals rule is cemented in one place only while the rest of the realm lives a life that’s harder than most and much more exciting and dangerous than advertised. Enter this world at your own risk but be prepared to not want to leave!
Titan Comics 2018
Written by V.E. Schwab
Illustrated by Andrea Olimpieri
Coloured by Enrica Eren Angiolini
Colour Assists by Viviana Spinelli
Lettered by Rob Steen
STORY SO FAR:
Decades after the worlds have come apart, Red London is peaceful and thriving under the Maresh Empire. Believing that one day the magic separating the different worlds would come undone, Prince Maxim is searching the land for powerful magicians who can travel between those realms. Frustrated by his son’s negligence of their own kingdom, King Nokil banishes Maxim to Verose, also known as the Blood Coast, to redirect his focus. Upon his arrival, Maxim encounters rough bandits, hoodlums, and worst of all, the unruly soldiers of the royal military. However, his troubles don’t end there, as a ship with a dangerous looking crew has docked at the harbor…
I like the way that this opens because we’ve all dreamed of being or seeing the one who humbles an arrogant member of the Royal family. Okay arrogant is extra special but any Royal really is someone you want to say you’ve “bested” in some way, take Prince William at Eton playing Rugby as a good example. Maxim is one of the more arrogant SOB’s around and I love that about him because he’s going to need to be humbled and while yes Isra is best one suited for that job the two of them seem to have a lot to learn. So the character evolution here is primed and ready to really begin and that is more than a little exciting.
I like the way that this is structured. From the opening to the ending what we see and what we learn is done in such a way that the flow created is extremely easy to enjoy. While I haven’t read the novels that these are taken from I know it isn’t easy to adapt a novel to make sense in such a limited amount of space but since she wrote them who better than Schwab to take on the task? I like how the Pirate Queen arrives to port and how we learn about her, who she is and why she’s so dangerous. This is part of not only the ease of storytelling but the characterisation of Isra and Maxim as well. There is a way that this is told so that it gets under your skin and becomes a part of you and that kind of writing is pretty rare.
I do very much enjoy the interior artwork here. The utilisation of the linework through it’s varying weights creates a very stylised look. That stylisation also creates a fair amount of attention to detail in the characters and the city beyond to really showcase this world. Enrica Eren adds some amazing colours to this too and when the individual magic’s are shown in their varying colours with this level of gradation is simply spectacular stuff. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels showcases an amazing eye for storytelling. The way that backgrounds are utilised expands the story, the moment and shows us a size and scope to the story that is great to see.
This is such a strong story in a way that requires thinking, paying attention and really listening to both what is being said and what isn’t. An uneasy alliance turning into an even more uneasy partnership and what that means for these two characters remains to be seen. I don’t know if this will follow tradition and they become friends, not lovers as she’s a lesbian, who develop that strong connection and bond with one another or if they will remains at arms length which is what I'd prefer.
Welcome to a world where the Royals rule is cemented in one place only while the rest of the realm lives a life that’s harder than most and much more exciting and dangerous than advertised. Enter this world at your own risk but be prepared to not want to leave!
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