Malika: Warrior Queen - Part 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Queen Malika united her kingdom after years of civil war. Now she fights the most feared superpowers, the Ming Dynasty, as well as foes from within her own kingdom.Malika is a warrior queen. She's always been a prodigy when it comes to fighting and war, and she leads from the front lines. That alone made me want to read this. She's amazing to behold, and she's impressive in how she handles herself and the situations she finds herself in. Through reading, we see that she struggles with perceived weaknesses, nightmares of her past, and personal relationships, all of which round her out more as a person. I like the angle of the secret husband, a man who is considered by some to be an enemy (or at least someone that should not have been assisted as an ally). There's something personal revealed at the end of this volume that I have mixed feelings about, but I can appreciate how Malika handles it. It is also understandable that after so many years her ego is getting to her, and I can't help but wonder which will win out: her ego or her prodigiousness? The art is quite good. It's realistic, with great attention to detail, and an amazing grasp of mechanics for fight scenes large and small. My one struggle was keeping some action and word balloons straight during crowded fight scenes, even with the different color uniforms. The visuals for the armies and certain attacks have a cinematic look and feel, which gives them the larger-than-life energy they need to have on the pages of a comic. I like how between each chapter there's a page to introduce us to another territory of Azzaz, and how each of these areas is based on a real area! The West African setting is nicely used. It allows for certain details to be worked into both culture and appearance. Pitting this kingdom against the Ming Dynasty makes it stand out and gives it a sense of importance and realism -- civil war is one thing, but defending one's country from a massive Chinese army is another! This volume has a focus on the political climate, setting things in motion on a few different fronts. These things are obviously all important to the overall plot, and I look forward to seeing how they're all handled and worked into the rest of the plot. The bulk of this 144-page graphic novel is dedicated to war strategy and fighting. So, lots of action, most of which is focused on the armies and their interactions with each other, bystanders, innocents. It's exciting and engaging, and combining foes internal and external into one big story makes it much more interesting. There's even nudges into the world of fantasy with magic blades and stones that provide power ... derived from dragons. Part of me can't wait for these things to enter the plot more actively, but part of me is a bit disappointed this story needed magic to carry it. However, YouNeek Studios has put together a few different series within the same universe, which works even better with a few touches of fantasy. This book is the fourth release from the universe, with the third apparently focusing more on the mystical and dragonish history (and the wind powers of one character) we get a taste of in this volume. I like the whole idea, and given the execution of this comic, I'm looking forward to reading more. Written: February 7, 2019
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