Writer: The Starlight City Project Art: Skill3 Studio Publisher: Starlight City Entertainment
This review only covers a single issue, which sets up the story for the rest of the series. Though it has two separate stories, we don't have insight into a full story arc, so this review might look a little different than my other reviews of entire volumes of comics.
WHAT IS IT?
A cyberpunk fantasy story of two space knights employed to protect the peace throughout space and hunt down dangerous rogues.
This first introductory issue reads like the beginning of a JRPG, showing us the cats of characters and the universe in which they live. It reminds me a lot of Rogue Galaxy or Star Ocean.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
Two young women are partners, keeping the peace for The Queen's Knights Corporation. We get the sense they've been working together awhile, and they've known each other even longer.
But, even with their history, we find out that they're hiding things from each other. While we only get a glimpse of these things in this first chapter (or "The Zero Chapter," as this installment is called), it gives us a hint at what drives these characters...and what may drive them apart in the future.
The comic plays out like an anime, and the art style is definitely reminiscent of one, too. Two separate "episodes" play out in this issue, each setting up different aspects of the greater story. That is, the characters' personal motivations, and their greater hunt for someone who harmed them greatly in the past.
WHAT WORKS?
The world is immense, built by someone with a grand vision, and it gives plenty of breathing room for epic storytelling in the future
Personally, I loved the classification of the types of knights and the skills they use; it makes me want this to be a playable RPG very badly
I am blown away by the art and color, especially in an indie comic -- Skill3 Studio is shows off their talent by filling this issue with some really spectacular work
The heroes have a depth to them that helps make them three-dimensional and lovable very early on
Similarly, we get story teases for what the plot will cover later, showing that there's a greater plan for the title and hooking us from the start
There's a good balance between fight scenes and all the exposition that had to be done in this first issue
There's kind of a buddy-cop thing between the two main characters, but it's not over-the-top, which I think works for the title
The action and language should be fine for most kids 12+
WHAT DOESN'T WORK?
The villains feel a little shallow and tropey, but we also haven't met the "Big Bad" yet and it's only the first issue
If you're not used to anime/manga, or if you're not a fan of it, this may not be for you, since it has a lot of the trappings of the genre
Still early on, so it's tough to see if the creative team will be able to maintain this momentum in future issues
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
KNIGHTS: The Wandering Stars bridges sci-fi cyberpunk and fantasy elements naturally and seamlessly, bringing some of your favorite parts of manga, anime and JRPG video games to the comic book medium. It's a lot of fun, and a brilliant world that I can't wait to read more of.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
Valérian and Laureline by Pierre Christian & Jean-Claude Mézières
Copperhead, Vol. 1 by Jay Faerber & Scott Godlewski
Monstress, Vol. 1 by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
If you like the art:
R:ILPERSONA by The Starlight City Project & JM Valenzuela
East of West, Vol. 1 by Jonathan Hickman & Nick Dragotta
Wayward, Vol. 1 by Jim Zub & Steve Cummings
ABOUT THE CREATORS
The Starlight City Project – Writer
New Face: He started self-publishing his comics 5 years ago
Moniker: His real name is Shaun Barrow
Is a huge fan of, and greatly influenced by, manga & anime
Melvin Calingo – Illustrator
Moniker: Sometimes goes by "Taga-Ilog"
Greatly inspired by Battle Angel Alita, Blade of the Immortal & Mad Max
Outlander: Lives in the Philippines
Ludwig Sacramento – Colorist
Dream Team: Also works with The Starlight City Project on R:ILPERSONA (which takes place in the same universe as KNIGHTS: The Wandering Stars, but during a different time)
Multitalented: Also works in game design
Vocapanda – Letterer
Dream Team: Also works with The Starlight City Project on R:ILPERSONA (which takes place in the same universe as KNIGHTS: The Wandering Stars, but during a different time)
Is more famous for being an anime YouTube cover singer
HOW DO I BUY IT?
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