History never forgets … instead, it allows the guilty to redeem themselves.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artwork: Deivis Goetten
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
When a fiery explosion erupts in the ancient city of Petra, Jasmine races against the terrorist group The Forty Thieves to prevent the shattered pieces of the Crown of Kings, an object that haunts her past, from being reunited and unleashing an unearthly power on the world and all that she holds dear.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Jasmine has been alive for thousands of years, and in this lifetime she has done many things she is not especially proud of … from stealing to live and those acts when under control of her master. Small misdeeds lead to worse ones and it is those which she can never forget, nor will her unconscious mind allow it as nightmares revisit once she closes her eyes. The fire of her elemental powers, cities, and people she scorched to the ground, all in the name of Gruel and then there are those memories which are more torturous than the deeds, the ones which keep her up at night. The Crown of Kings, its mystical energies she thought were forgotten, but now they awaken the jinn again, the threat of its powers escaping into the world a terror unto itself. It is the pull of those primal energies which arouses her this night, stirred into a cold sweat which leaves an impact and makes her regret old habits for past mistakes.
But as Jasmine confronts her concerns with Shang, it should no surprise that the headmaster of Arcane Acre knows more that he acknowledges, revealing there is much he knows and many secrets he still hides. But as this fascination dies down, the jinn is surprised yet again as this aged gentleman allows her to investigate a memory revealed within a dream. It is only through the use of an ancient artifact by which this enterprising girl is able to traverse the globe to arrive at her destination – Petra, a lost city surrounded in myth and legend. This where her intuition has lead her and this is where the echoes of her prize now resonate, the Crown of Kings. However while a disquieting feeling may have brought her to this place, it is the confrontation with a past foe which now makes this meeting all the more uncomfortable – Ali and his Forty Thieves. She never trusted him before … and time has not made the confidence of being worthwhile any more pleasing.
In Summary:
Ever since we were first introduced to this Arabian beauty in last year’s Grimm Fairy Tales Series Volume 2 Free Comic Book Day Edition and later shown regularly within that series proper, I had hoped Jasmine would receive her own title, since she is such a heroically forceful woman. However she has always relegated to being a side character, and even within Grimm Fairy Tales Series: Dance of the Dead, which I had hoped she would become the opposition for her former master Gruel, it too failed to produce her as anything more than a supporting role. Although it may have taken almost a year, our beautiful jinn finally receives her own title, Jasmine: Crown of Kings and for the wait, it does not disappoint. While writer Howard Mackie does start off a bit slow within this premiere issue, this measured pace helps to flesh out her cobbled and neglected backstory, making her more endearing thanks to clever narration and an endearing internal monologue. Before she accepts her first encounter with the main antagonist, we now know more than we have since, even including all of the aforementioned materials. It is this condensation of materials which makes her all the more relatable, and while this may be a Launch title, due to Mackie’s careful manipulation of information we do not necessarily need to backtrack in order to become captivated by her charm, sense of honor and biting wit. But even as we leap into that conflict with her old foe Ali, you cannot but admire her for the duty she proclaims in trying to secure the Crown, all while showing off her self-assured confidence, humor and dynamic fighting style, showing these pitiful thieves she cannot be stopped as long as her cause is just, and never forgetting she is a powerful woman. This the kind of hero this book needs – someone who is sure of herself not only in deed but also to redeem indirectly committed wrongs, even if Jasmine may be the source but ordered to do them by Gruel, it does not stop her from correcting her mistakes … all to do the right thing.
And so to begin such an excellent book, you must also have an equally talented artist, and this title does not skimp with the prominence of Deivis Goetten, delighting us visually with dynamic action scenes and luscious depictions of Jasmine against her incompetent male foes. While the opening pages feel like something from the video game Assassin’s Creed with figures covered head to toe in ebony costumes and cloaked faces, you cannot deny the intensity displayed within the ancient ruins, making the excitement feel central to the narrative thanks to Ceci de la Cruz‘s organic colors. However it is not until we see Jasmine take the scene do we see her essential spark ignite, changing from a frightened girl cringing from a bad dream into a determined woman who will make up for her indiscretions, no matter what the cost. But the most rousing piece of the issue is the centerfold, recapping of her mistakes, switching from her royal purple costume into sepia stained flashbacks, every panel magnifying the prior misstep until she is made to do the unthinkable – kill people in her master’s name. Although the full pages may be striking, the unfolding within Petra seems a bit tame graphically, the dull tan background subdued when compared to foreground images of black figures being beaten by an agile violet-clad figure wielding a flaming sword. And yet all of those toned down events only bring more impact once we reflect upon the final display of Jasmine’s strength, her lit blade held defiantly before her slender frame, as if daring anyone to attack. This is the way you introduce a resolute character – someone who is not afraid to confront her past, but at the same time, scared to see what she may uncover within the dark recesses of forgotten memories.
Jasmine: Crown of Kings is become a fascinating view into an underused character, however with a slow beginning, there is nowhere it can go up with such a dynamically endearing story. Jasmine always seemed to be a woman with a dark past, isolated from the world while in service to a sadistic master. And while her personality has opened up since her introduction, there has been a part she has kept hidden from everyone, including herself. And now with an enticing title to show us her heroic side, I cannot wait to see how redemption will fulfill a pledge to herself and the security of knowing the audience will be rewarded with a tale of unyielding compromise and wondrous satisfaction.
Grade: A-
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: May 02, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
