Kaya TP Book 1 Review

 

Writer & Artist: Wes Craig

Colorist: Jason Wordie

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artist: Wes Craig

Publisher: Image

Price: $9.99

Release Date: March 22, 2023

 

Jin is a child of prophesy. He tells people he will overthrow the Atrians and make the Humans great again. One day, the robots came for him. His uncle Kova met them at the city gates. The robot commander claimed they only wanted to re-educate him, but Kova knew better. His uncle refused to hand Jin over to the robots. Now, Kova is dead, and Jin’s home lies in ruins. Alone and defenseless, who will protect Humanity’s last hope? Let’s leap into Kaya TP Book 1 and find out!

 

Story

Before he died, Kova entrusted Jin to his niece. Now, Kaya and Jin travel toward Monk Island. They believe the monks will protect Jin and teach him to fulfill the prophecy. Born to a king, Jin lacks practical skills. Kova raised his half-sister, Kaya. She tries to teach him how to hunt, but he’s better at praying and quoting from scrolls. Birth ordained him their leader, but she knows best how to keep them alive.

 

Jin may complain about the rough life of a traveler, but his fiercest look couldn't match Kaya's glare. While electricity sizzles through her mechanical arm, the fire burns in her eyes. After she nearly died, Kova won the arm that saved her life. Now, Kaya drags her defenseless half-brother across their world. In Kaya TP Book 1, the youngsters search for a new home they've only heard about. 

 

 

 

Lizard Riders inform them that the Atrian Empire has constructed a great wall. How will Kaya and Jin get past that? The Lizard Rider Seth suggests an opportunity. If Kaya helps them hunt a Magron harassing a border kingdom, her share of the proceeds could fund their journey past the Great Wall. But first, they must kill one of the deadliest creatures in the land.

 

We don’t learn much about Jin’s upbringing or the community he grew up in. The boy never mentions his parents. Nor does Wes Craig spell out Kova’s relationship with the king. Perhaps the biggest question the trade paperback leaves unanswered is what Kaya wants. The robots took her life away from her. What might she pursue after fulfilling her uncle's wishes?

 

Thankfully, you don’t think about those questions as you read Kaya TP Book 1. Craig's story whisks you along on a grand adventure. The trade paperback introduces us to peoples and cultures, and we explore Kia and Kaya's world as they see and experience things for the first time. It's not a metal arm that makes Craig’s story magical, but the way the children embrace their journey and learn about each other.

 

 

 

Art

Black dreadlocks tumble to her shoulders. A black stripe aligns with her eyes. An Iron Man arm fits over the stump of her upper right arm. Wearing her perpetual frown, Kaya leaps into battle. Whether we see her attacking a crab-like Atrian or glimpse her tiny silhouette chasing dinner across the desert, Kaya always impresses.

 

Wes Craig’s uniqueness of design holds for the other characters. A black circle surrounds Jin’s right eye, his ears end at a point, and a red frill adorns his head. Seth has dirty-blonde hair and a rounded dinosaur-like face. Fellow Lizard Rider Zothan has a spiky, crocodilian skull. Many of the people in Goro Bay have an amphibian appearance. I’ll let you discover what a Magron looks like when you read Kaya TP Book 1. 

 

 

 

Scenes evoke Bronze Age comics. Not only does Wes Craig's art style lend it this historic appeal, but Jason Wordie’s vibrant color looks like something you’d pull from a 1970s or ‘80s spinner rack. His colors provide contrast, reveal highlights and shadows, and avoid overuse of gray. The colors shine all the brighter as Craig leaves white space between each panel. Wordie's colors enliven Utah-like deserts, verdant grasslands, and thick forests. And then there’s a touching night scene when Jin prays to his gods beneath a blue and purple sky.

 

Tom Napolitano makes Kaya TP Book 1 easy to read, thanks to large-size, uppercase black dialogue in white and colored balloons. Sound effects help you hear arrows striking targets, characters laughing around the campfire, electricity coursing through Kaya's armored arm, and a crying animal that senses danger and yearns to flee.

 

Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

In Kaya TP Book 1, characters have big dreams. They also face obstacles that seem insurmountable. Seth loves Kaya, but his Queen pledged him to another. In addition to fulfilling his destiny, Jin yearns to earn Kaya's respect despite their differing backgrounds and outlooks. Lizard Rider Zothan desires to overthrow his Queen, but is he up to the task? As Wes Craig takes readers on an adventure, his characters' greatest battles will be with themselves.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

Preview interior art and see more covers at my review at Comic Book Dispatch.