I'm completely in love with this comic, but also kind of annoyed that I didn't realize how long it would be between issues and there's a CLIFFHANGER. So, here's my jumble of thoughts, laid out for your consideration.
First, the cover is by Jen Bartel, but the interior art of Issue 1 is by Keezy Young. Both of these artists do fabulous work, and I've adored Young's TAPROOT and YELLOW HEARTS (now called NEVER HEROES). Subsequent issues will have different art teams, as writer Jennifer Dugan put together a different team of queer creators for each of the five issues.
Here's what the interior of this issue looks like:
The story begins with Zara, a ballerina, performing onstage as her lover, the assassin Aderes, watches from the audience. I had a moment of wondering how this would follow a romantic arc, but the comic quickly answers that question.
It's all a dream. Zara's roommate wakes her up in our world.
Or is it? The next time that Zara sleeps, she returns to Aderes, who tells her that they worry about her when she's gone. It's shortly after this that Issue #1 drops off, so I don't want to tell you more at risk of spoiling things.
That said, this was a beautiful comic with a paranormal mystery, and I'm eager to read the rest of the story. Will Aderes and Zara find a way to stay together for good? Which world is the real world? How is any of this possible? Who is the Big Bad Smoake and what impact will he have on the story?
This issue was 24 pages and doesn't appear to be up for purchase anywhere until the next Kickstarter campaign. I'll update here if I'm wrong!
