Sebastian Girner - Reviews

Scales & Scoundrels Volume 1: Into the Dragon's Maw

The Scales & Scoundrels series, Issues 1 - 5
Sebastian Girner, illustrations by Galaad
Image Comics
Fiction, YA? Fantasy/Graphic Novel/Humor
Themes: Dragons, Diversity, Fantasy Races, Girl Power, Locations with Character, Thieves
****

Description

A penniless treasure hunter with a shadowy (and not-quite-human) past, Luvander sets her sights on a legendary dungeon: Dened Lewen, the Dragon's Maw, a place so deep and ancient even the gods are said to be blind to its secret depths. Along the way, she runs into Prince Aki on a royal rite of passage, his loyal and mistrustful bodyguard Koro, and dwarven guide Dorma, who has her own reasons for traveling to the Maw. Driven as much by the promise of treasure as the need to escape a deadly bounty hunter hot on her heels, the ever-reckless Lu plunges headlong - literally - into an adventure straight out of myth and legend, one she can only hope ends in the rumored chamber of untold riches. Or at least a good hot meal...

Review

As promised by the title and cover blurb, this fantasy comic pokes fun at dungeon-crawler games and genre conventions without fully sacrificing its internal story arc or characters. The conflicting personalities each bring something to the table, with nobody being deadweight and everyone - even the stoic Koro - having a significant flaw. The Dragon's Maw is a strange, sometimes terrifying place, brought to life in lively artwork whose simplicity nevertheless conveys a sense of the underlying wonder. I enjoyed it, and will keep an eye peeled for Volume 2 on Hoopla.

Scales & Scoundrels Volume 2: Treasurehearts

The Scales & Scoundrels series, Issues 6 - 10
Sebastian Girner, illustrations by Galaad
Image Comics
Fiction, YA? Fantasy/Graphic Novel/Humor
Themes: Dragons, Diversity, Fantasy Races, Girl Power, Locations with Character, Merfolk, Thieves
****

Description

In the depths of the dungeon known as the Dragon's Maw, adventurers Luvander, Prince Aki, Koro, and Dorma confront an ancient demon guarding a legendary treasure. Here, Luvander - a dragon cursed to wear a human form - finds answers she didn't expect about the nature of the Maw and her own kind. Leaving the Dragon's Maw and her companions, she sets out across the realm to discover who and what she truly is... and if she needs her scales and wings to claim a treasure worthy of a dragon princess.

Review

After the first volume, I'd expected the series to follow Luvander and her human (and dwarven) companions in their adventures... but Aki, Koro, and Dorma take off after leaving the Maw, leaving Luvander on her own to confront her fellow dragons and explore the realm. Without them, the story starts to feel unbalanced and directionless. More is revealed about her world and the dragons, but I couldn't help hoping that Lu would pick up a new sidekick or two, someone to talk to in her adventures and to help her grow; clearly her time with with the mortals did her more good than all her lone wanderings beforehand. There's still a sense of fun and adventure, but it lacked the focus of the previous volume - and, to be honest, I'm not sure how long Luvander wandering about aimlessly on her own while having brief, episodic adventures will hold my interest for future installments.