From cruelty rises hope … and that is the most dangerous weapon of all.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Meredith Finch
Artwork: Ig Guara
Colors: Triona Farrell
Letters: Cardinal Rae
What They Say:
SERIES PREMIERE A classic fantasy tale about a girl trying to restore balance to a broken world. Rose must connect with her Khat-Thorne-to become the Guardian the world needs. But things aren’t easy for Rose and Thorne, the powerful sorcerous Drucilla has many powerful and demonic allies-all of them focused on stopping one scared little girl who’s desperately trying to stay alive and do what’s right. Written by MEREDITH FINCH (Wonder Woman, Little Mermaid), and drawn by fan-favorite artist IG GUARA (Batman: Arkham Knight, Blue Beetle, The Ravagers).
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
The world was once a beautiful place, protected by Guardians and their magical beasts called Khatz who defended the people and ensured the peace. But as these mystical creatures started to vanish, so too did the security which they championed, and a new evil threatened the tranquility of the land. While the king tried to fend off these invaders, without the help of the Guardians, he and his army were no match for this conquer. Then to secure his reign, this madman began a cleansing of anyone who showed any signs of magic, thus reinforcing his strength against any who may try to stop him. But that was ten years ago, and though many may have forgotten about those sobering times, there is one who may yet have the strength to fight against this nightmare.
Her name is Rose, and upon a birthday does her mother present a new token to ward others from detecting any special talents. Although she may warn the anxious girl against using such powers, as would any impatient teenager in her place, goes against a parent’s wishes and tests them in the woods. After many attempts and equal frustration, the afternoon proves to be a waste and the feisty redhead heads home; but as Rose leaves the serenity of the glade, what awaits to her horror is the fiery destruction of the village, with not a single person left extinguish the flames. Even as she rushes home, all that greets Rose are the dying gasps of her mother, pleading for her daughter to run as far as she can. The sadistic queen has begun the extermination of any who stand against her cruelty, and now this unfortunate child is caught in the plight, with nowhere to go in this world where magic holds no place but death. Can she find help in this situation or is she doomed to fall like so many others before her?
In Summary:
The first time I read a work by Meredith Finch, I was caught up in her inspiring escapades of Erica within the oceanic depths as the Little Mermaid. Then I became captivated by an Amazon Princess, the God of War Diana as I watched in amazement while Wonder Woman fought to bring peace to both the world of men and her homeland of Themyscira. And finally I was seduced by the beauty of a vigilante squeezed into a skin tight catsuit named Selina Kyle who fought for the defenseless as Catwoman. All of these outstanding women have one thing in common: they fight for themselves and in turn find an underlying strength and integrity which few know exist, making one a true hero; while Erica did so to survive the cruelty of men, it was in the end by which she found the determination to avenge her father’s death and vindicate her own weakness. Diana and Selina discovered that courage through their life experiences, and it was only a matter of time in which Erica released that conviction for herself.
It within these dynamic heroines by which we find a basis for a new savior, the touching tale of a young girl thrust into a world which she never knew, the story of Rose. Her dramatic narrative of innocence lost is so heartfelt that you feel tenderness, the vulnerable shift of childhood shattered once she loses everything; that change was so gripping and the deviation sudden that you cannot but react to her emotional distress, almost wishing that you could reach in and comfort the poor lass with a warm hug. And on the opposing side of the spectrum, the demonic Queen Drucilla, a contemptuous sociopath who seems to have no redeeming values, treating friend and foe with equal malice and that manner extends even beyond death; the scene in which she has a conversation with her deceased father, his skeletal remains still chained to the wall, was chillingly disturbing to say the least. This initial dynamic feels almost as if a reflection of purity has plunged into the heart of darkness – a classic battle of Good versus Evil. And this is one villain in which I can only assume will become more corrupt as time passes … if that is at all possible.
And yet even within this fantastic narrative, the illustrations so beautifully initialize the setting that you cannot but feel drawn into the first panel, and then watch as artist Ig Guara unravels an idyllic world into a living nightmare. Those few initial pages so magnificently introduce us to the tranquility and then monstrosities which the world has become after the queen takes over, you can feel the terror as people are hunted down. Then after the time skip, we are exposed to the naiveté of Rose, almost making you forget what happened before, her gentleness so envelopes us like a warm blanket, her fearless attitude manifested on her gentle face. But of course, nothing stays innocent as we know from fairy tales, and it is then when the hammer is lowered: from a visage of Rose comically irked by frustration then utterly astonished in the grip of horror. It is only from here which the true power of Guara’s drawings come to bear – the absolute shock of her world crumbling around her, too stunned to know what to do and when her mother dies, that scream of anguish and agony; if the reader does not start crying once you see that single page, then their heart is truly cold, just like that of a certain queen.
Even within her few appearances, Guara produces a persona for the queen which is so vile and nauseatingly repulsive that it seems contradictory from her outward beauty. The pretense for courtly duties and then we see what truth lies beneath – a personality which has become as twisted as the smile she wears as she takes great pleasure in disciplining her minions. This polar opposite of Rose so frightfully embodies the draconian sentiment of this inquisition that the audience cannot but feel empathy for this petrified heroine. The cruelty of Drucilla surrounded by her Spartan setting is in such disparity to Rose, a defiant girl who is sheltered from the malice of the world that she crumbles once she is exposed to the poison of the queen. This balance of counterpoints drives the story along so well that the words almost seem unnecessary, but their meaning only helps to strengthen the tale as a whole.
And yet, this graphic ensemble would be hollow if not for the phenomenal assortment of tonal strengths displayed by colorist Triona Farrell. It is her control of the environment which elevates Guara’s artwork and shatters our visual perceptions, through which the tale of Rose comes alive. Her gentle application of the palette illuminates the barren landscape, almost as if we were staring into the complexity of a watercolor masterpiece. Every panel is carefully calculated to bring the most to the picture, monotone backgrounds carefully balancing the forceful usage of vivid reds and brilliant yellows, all to evoke a scene which emotes specific feelings; I love how she gradually increases the intensity of the pages from the start, the serenity of a pastoral field devolves into the misery of combat and death, with nothing too strong so that it will overwhelm anything else from the reader’s focus. And yet when we are introduced to Rose, it is the sheer beauty of her namesake hair which becomes an entity onto itself when she lays in the stillness of the pool. Even the paleness of her skin and the dull ivory of her dress does not take away from that mane, almost as if it emulates her determination in trying to control her magic.
But then even that magnificent hair cannot compete with the savagery of the flames as they consume the village. The way Farrell contrasts the flowing auburn against the cruelty which burns around Rose intensifies the rage and helpless of the girl; you can almost feel the heat and hear the crackling of moaning timbers as the daughter embraces her fading mother, the emotion deepens as the flames lick around them, each feeding the other in a sea of orange and yellow. But then that leap to the court of Drucilla, with the cold greys of a darkened castle, the somber midnight blue and the depressed skin tones are in direct opposition of the intensity of the prior scene, almost as if it is mocking the sadness with sadism. The hidden whites of eyes, teeth and bleached bones stand out within this stark atmosphere, as if they are gasping for air within the stillness of the dank of this oppressive lair. Light versus dark, life versus death, hope versus brutality … all of these are expressed within Farrell’s amazing world of colors, and yet they balance within a forbidden dance of duality.
Rose is the enthralling tale of a shy girl who seems more curious about her powers than frightened by an outside world which she has never seen within her short life. The dramatic disparity of a false faced queen versus the innocence of a child who crumbles after a traumatic event wonderfully encompasses a classic tale of rebellion. Raw emotions ooze from every page, and while the actions of a tyrant have incited dissension, it is from within that injustice lies a seething ember called hope. However will our heroine be able to recover from the fragility which is now her core to become what always her destiny? I for one cannot wait to find out!
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Image Comics
Release Date: April 12, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
