Never underestimate determination … and a desire to correct your own mistakes.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Howard Mackie
Artwork: Deivis Goetten
Colors: Ceci de la Cruz
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Jasmine races against terrorist group, The Forty Thieves, to collect the shattered pieces of the Crown of Kings. As time is running out to acquire this object that haunts her past, she must hurry to stop it from unleashing an unearthly power on the world and all she holds dear.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
Seeing no other way to prevent her sadistic djinn sister Cerule from acquiring the final piece of the Crown of Kings, Jasmine took drastic measures as she grappled with Ali – hurling themselves off a cliff. Knowing too she could never trust this leader of the Forty Thieves, desperate pleas from this minion fell on deaf ears, his cries accounting for nothing against our heroine’s steadfast determination. However what the cowardly man did not know was this former genie had an unexpected ally, a woven friend strapped to his back waiting for the proper moment to aid its friend in a time of need, it was the magic carpet. Out of mutual respect for each other, both former slaves to uncaring masters, they had formed a bond of trust, thus allowing her to accept help with the utmost gratitude. Knowing there was only one way to prevent disaster, the partners departed for the location they could accomplish their goal, with Ali hanging on and begging to be pulled aboard, as they dove through a mysterious portal which formed before them.
Once exiting the mystical gate, the trio found themselves in the heart of the Orient, flying over a marvel of engineering and their destination, the Great Wall of China. Knowing the thought of away from the power hungry djinn would be pointless, Ali proclaimed his disapproval, but Jasmine had other ideas to deter her magical sibling. As the group bided their time until the villain’s imminent arrival, it was not long until Cerule made a dramatic entrance, her rage reflected within an explosion of energy which impacted the monument. Confident in her control of the situation, the all-powerful genie confidently declared her intentions and demanded the last piece, to which her raven-haired opponent surrendered without a fight. Perplexed by an uncharacteristic change in strategy, her foe questioned this new approach, to which Jasmine stated she knew the reason why she was approached so long ago – Cerule needed her to complete the Crown. However, will our heroine truly submit … or does this beauty have something else planned to defeat her callous sister?
In Summary:
As this wondrous epic comes to an unexpected close, writer Howard Mackie draws all of the story elements into a satisfying conclusion, however, at the same time, there is still disappointment in the method by which he chose to bring about the finale. From the beginning, readers were presented with a determined heroine in Jasmine, someone who knew no bounds as to what she could accomplish, and at the same time, was shown as an amazing woman who found those feats easily obtainable. But therein lies the main problem of the title – there was no challenge for our favorite former genie, even without her magic. Ali as presented as the main foil and an incompetent leader of the Forty Thieves, but even with all the mystical powers he obtained in the past, none of those skills could aid in the contest against a fellow student from Arcane Acre. Everything was too effortless for Jasmine, and it was not until she was faced by a demon from her past, fellow djinn Cerule, by which she now knew failure. However this challenge did not last long as seen within this final issue, and while you may argue she succeeded via guile and knowledge, there is also the inkling of too many convenient plot devices to turn the tide in Jasmine’s favor. People always cheer for an underdog, and this was how the series initially presented itself, but as we delve deeper into the title, that notion quickly faded as every challenge presented to Jasmine was brushed away by courage and ingenuity. And though the story as a whole did conclude with a happy ending, the journey seemed too pre-planned, thereby turning the narrative from a welcomed tale into something which our heroine could not fail, no matter who faced this beautiful protagonist. While this series as a whole is still fulfilling, if Mackie is going to turn it into something which can easily be overcome, where is the challenge for the heroine which makes the title worthy of remembrance?
Even with an effortless tale as such for this title, it does not mean the artistic grandeur displayed within this spectacular series is sacrificed – in fact, it is the dazzling portrayal of breathtaking landscape and stunning beauty of our heroine and her nemesis which has us coming back for more. Through the depth of this graphic display, artist Deivis Goetten has shown Jasmine can be a courageous crusader even when faced against unknown odds, be they a sycophantic minion such as Ali or the callous cruelty of her djinn sister Cerule, she never gives up. And while the portrayals may lack facial subtleties in lieu of softer curves, it does not mean he cannot give us characters who are defined by their actions and emotional fervor, making them all the more relatable than unreachable superhero personas. Then add the magnificence of harsh environments magnified by phenomenal vistas and the reader is given a visual treat, only to be amplified by the wondrous colors of Ceci de la Cruz’s stunning palette, showing the audience this title would be lifeless without her talent for invoking richness within an astounding atmosphere. There are times throughout this series where you have to stop and stare in awestruck reverence as to how she conjured such chilling magic for the backgrounds; the richness of her tones dance before us, taking away from the dramatic splendor which is supposed to be the main focus, and yet her mastery of darkness and light bring forth such extraordinary luxury there are times you stop to consider if the surroundings are more important than the actors, making the former more realistic and the latter all considerably flat in comparison. And yet it is this synergy between illustrations and color which make this title visually one of the best Zenescope has put out and makes it a pleasure to absorb what new surprises this team may present in the near future.
Jasmine: Crown of Kings may have begun as a worthwhile underdog narrative, but due to the ease of victories it soon escapes those boundaries into a tale of unlikely aspects and unbelievable predictability. With simplified conflicts and overly convenient plot devices, the story becomes blasé and it is only due to an outstanding artistic display which rescues it from becoming another heroically formulaic epic. However, in the end, this series does expand on one of my new favorite heroines and hopefully, it will not be the last we see of our formerly all-powerful genie.
Grade: A-
Series Grade: A-
Age Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 05, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
