Never underestimate a djinn … with vengeance on her mind.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artwork: Deivis Goetten
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Secrets are revealed as Jasmine, Ali, and the remnants of the Forty Thieves travel to the ruins of Machu Picchu and confront the secret, powerful pursuer of the last piece of the Crown of Kings.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
As Jasmine surveys the ruin brought to the Forty Thieves within the serenity of an Icelandic forest, it is only now does the perversity of true villainy come to light and reality for the one behind this savage search – her djinn sister Cerule. While she too was once of her kind, this sadistic temptress’ cruelty knows no bounds, and it is only now does Ali reveal this was the secret partner which held him in sway. As she harkens back to days of endless immorality which both ruthlessly enjoyed, this woman in her endless audacity asks if Jasmine misses those moments, to which she flatly denies any pleasure in those memories. But in her own supreme overconfidence, Cerule will not end her former partner’s life, knowing she now is unable to do anything to stop them. With the conviction of a megalomaniac, the djinn secures the current pieces of the Crown of Kings, tells Ali to bid is playmate farewell, and prepares to take off … but not before taking her carpet in an effort to seal any way of following them. And so ends the chase for Jasmine, or does it?
Once her sister leaves, it is only now does Jasmine painfully recall the truth of their past, beings consumed within the depths of power, only knowing pleasure by seeing which one could cause more pain to the mortals which they tortured. It was this depraved recollection which ignites a renewed desire to stop Cerule, and with pieces of the Crown now in her possession, the seriousness of the situation is all too grave. Only then does she see the severed fingers of Ali, remembering their exchange of memories and the depravity of sacrificing his teacher after learning all he could from his aged master. And while she may no longer have mastery over of magic, it is through good fortune by which Jasmine is able to draw forth the remnants of that shaman and cast a portal of her own, leading to the deceptive pair’s location. It is Machu Picchu, the mountain citadel of the Incas and the resting place of the final piece of the Crown of Kings. As she watches the ruinous partners ineffectively deal with the mist warriors with great satisfaction, Jasmine herself is stunned by the appearance of the head guardian, asking is she is in league with those thieves. With victory finally within someone’s grasp, which side will prevail?
In Summary:
As we reach the thrilling conclusion of this epic title, writer Howard Mackie is not holding back on intensity for the narrative nor ambition of how this tale will end. However even with the introduction of djinn sister Cerule, I do wish Mackie used this new villain earlier since Ali is so obsequious that it rarely seemed as if he was trying to hinder Jasmine; also if she were brought in sooner, we could have seen more of their history and how their adversarial relationship grew from the sadistic competition, which would have revealed a much darker and interesting side for our heroine. In as such, all of the previous battles were too far easy for our favorite genie, and it is only now where there was any challenge as to unsettle her progress. While she is now overwhelmed by this foe, the story is still a bit uneven due to a convenient plot device to allow escape and conveyance to the next destination. Even with this lopsided event, there is still the heavy burden of how Jasmine will battle her magical sibling, since she has admitted her mystical skills are lacking and with no foreseen allies coming to her aid, there can be only victorious outlet, but I hope it will not fall to this heroic standard.
But as we near the end, it does not mean Deivis Goetten can linger on past accomplishments to let the story speak for itself – on the contrary, it is the spectacular displays within this penultimate issue which surpasses any prior artistry due to the grandeur of characters and environment. But even with his powerful pages, none would be as monumentally effective without Ceci de la Cruz’s emotive array of stunning colors, bringing a moving nuance to these images and elevating the illustrations to a new level of alluring beauty and gripping drama. The opening panels envelope the harsh realism in the cost of this fruitless crusade, the dark and forboding shadows enshrouding nauseating corpses, ominous skies crackling with lightning, and then the double page reveal of our new villainess – Cerule. While I do appreciate the sinister magnificence which personifies this djinn, when you first see her, the reader cannot but compare this genie to a Na’vi from the movie Avatar, sans stripes and tail. But even with this comparison in mind, the ambiance and hypnotic appeal of this gorgeous foe is a wondrous foil for Jasmine, to see the raven haired beauties joust for position, all while knowing who is the strongest in power, but not in courage. It is admirable to watch the former djinn become sullen as she ponders her new foes, but the encouraging pages which follow allow us to remember the steadfast determination which makes Jasmine such an admirable hero.
While this preparatory issue may seem leading into the conclusion, Jasmine: Crown of Kings only heightens our need to see this adventure through, in all its spectacular splendor. The gripping story and phenomenal artistry usher the reader into a epic tale of struggle against impossible odds, however as we leave this cliffhanger, you cannot but acknowledge there is something planned for the finale which may seem expected, even if it is meaningful. A former genie versus one with the ambition to win at any cost, although this conclusion is inevitable, you cannot admit the build up will definitely be worth the wait.
Grade: A-
Age Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: August 08, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
