#but!! this manga's linework is absolutely divine

[hexagonsgalore]

one’s own specialization

[oosteven-universe]

The Book of Lyaxia #1

The Book of Lyaxia #1 Second Sight Publishing 2021 Created & Written by Aron Pohara Pencilled by Andy Baquerizo Inked by Tsubasa Yozora Coloured by Jesse Heagy Lettered by Francisco Zamora All that is Good      Welcome to the Nexus. The crazy world of gods from different mythologies. Join the journey of Chronos and Deimos as they are trying to end the conflict that was going between the families for aeons. This is pretty amazing as well and it’s the second book from Second Sight that I am reading and reviewing.  With a cover that looks like Colleen Doran’s handiwork and a story that features gods and goddesses and I’m in like Flynn baby.  My first impression of this was dayum that was interesting!  A good reaction because it made me think about the story, what its about and how the Moon, Titan, is home to them all so what kind of society can coexist when it’s nothing but gods?  So what Aron has done and created here is an introduction to a society and its people in a way that intrigues, excites and engages the reader while providing some breathtaking ideas and a broad stroke of what ifs.  This is a fresh, new, original and unique take on these pantheons of gods that Earth has outgrown. I love the way that this is being told.  How we see the story & plot development continue to move forward through how the sequence of events unfold and then how the reader learns information.  All of this is done impeccably well and I appreciate the abridged way that we see the twins being born.  There really is no reason to watch them grow to their current age and yet we are still able to get that sense of something special happening with their birth.  The character development that we see is phenomenal.  Through a myriad of aspects, thoughts, dialogue, interactions with others and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter help us to better understand them and who they are.  The pacing is great and as it takes us through pages revealing this city, the characters and the story at hand we are treated to a vision of splendour and people most foul. The way that this is structured is very nice to see as are the layers within the story that seem to continue from before our introduction.  This does add to heighten the interest and intrigue factors.  How everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is marvellous. The interiors here are absolutely stunning.  I mean instead of old school architecture we see this ultra sleek and modern city that has this amazing glow about it.  All that glitters may not be gold if you scratch the surface.  The linework is beautifully rendered and how its varying weights and techniques are being utilised to showcase the detail work is exceptional.  I want to see more backgrounds, this is another “planet” and it’s a great opportunity to show off that creativity and imagination.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a superb eye for storytelling.  The colour work is divine.  How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is stunning work.   ​ That these characters all look to have a manga or anime style approach to them which makes them seem more gender fluid is a huge plus in my book.  It really does suit what I would picture in my head when it comes to them and sexual fluidity at least and I look forward to seeing what Aron is going to do with them n that front.  I am love with the concept, the idea and the way this is being executed.  This is a beautifully done book that is guaranteed to impress you and if this is what Second Sight is going to be offering on a regular basis it could become a top publishing house in no time at all.

[oosteven-universe]

Mega Man: Fully Charged #1

Mega Man: Fully Charged #1 Boom! Studios 2020 Written by A.J. Marchisello & Marcus Rinehart Creative Consultant Joe Kelly Illustrated by Stefano Simeone Coloured by Igor Monti Lettered by Ed Dukeshire    It's a new beginning for the worldwide culture phenomenon featuring heroes like Mega Man, Rush and Dr. Light trying to save Silicon City from the villainous forces of the Robot Masters, set in the world of the Mega Man: Fully Charged TV series. After Mega Man's father Dr. Light is kidnapped, a shocking truth rocks Mega Man's world as it seems the Robot Masters know more about his secret history than he does. When Mega Man's forgotten memories of the brutal human/robot war are triggered, our hero is left to question just who he is and if he can trust anything or anyone -- including the man he calls father.    This is my very first exposure to Mega Man and I have to say that this is something I thoroughly enjoyed.  Now mind you I don’t know about his past but I am presuming that this is unlike anything in the franchise that has come before.  I think that's a safe bet at least in my limited knowledge.  To me this has a few elements to it that I find appealing in different ways and that I get a vibe from Speed Racer and various Animes that I have seen take this to a place where it leaves the all-ages behind and becomes this amazing story that I wasn’t really expecting to see.  If you think Mega Man is a kids book, well think again there’s a sophistication to this that you aren’t going to want to miss!    I love the way that this is being told.  The opening is fantastic as it kind of catches us up with everything that he’s been through up till now.  This is smartly done and really allows the reader to understand the world as it stands, up to a point.  It draws the reader in as it captures the imagination beautifully.  The story & plot development we see here through how the sequences of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well.  The character development is great and it gives the reader a sense of who they are and where they could, I repeat could, go.  It is just enough to set the change for some major revelations and changes and it’s so amazingly well done.  The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists & turns along the way it is easy to see how everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow.    The interiors here are fantastic!  What we see is this upgraded manga style of art that really suits the story perfectly.  The linework is fabulous and how we see this through the varying weights and techniques being utilised to really bring about the attention to detail is utterly marvellous.  The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stupendous eye for storytelling.  How we see backgrounds being utilised throughout to not only enhance the moments and show off this world but it also brings us some nice depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story.  The colour work is absolutely divine!  How we see light utilised to create motion and other effects is truly magnificent to see here.  The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is exemplary.  It showcases this amazing eye for how colour works, how it can be utilised outside the norm and it really enhances how we see the story. ​    This really is a true treat to read.  If you are looking for something that will knock your socks off with how the story is layered and how we see the development in action then look no further because this is going to be the year's hottest surprise hit!