Writer & Artist: David Marquez
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Letterer & Designer: DC Hopkins
Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Cover Artists: David Marquez & Peach Momoko
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 9, 2025
Aida should be studying. She needs to master her abilities. But as Cyndi Lauper sings, "Girls just want to have fun." So, Aida plays Hide And Seek with Daniel in the forest. She wants her friend to find her. Instead, Aida finds Daniel clutching a small bird. Tears run down Daniel's cheeks. Why is Daniel so upset about finding a dead bird in the forest? Can Aida lessen Daniel’s sadness? Let’s leap into The Unchosen #1 and see!
Story
Daniel shoulders an important responsibility. But he cannot relight the spark inside the Painted Bunting. So, Aida takes his hands in hers and closes her eyes. When she opens them, nothing has changed. Aida’s eyes glisten. Then their classmates discover them. Ezra jeers Aida and Daniel for attempting something beyond them. Purple stars sparkle in his eyes. Esra extends a hand and speaks a different language. The bird's limbs twitch. It opens its eyes. The Painted Bunting opens its beak as if to fill the forest with its chirping song. Then Aida punches Ezra on the nose.
David Marquez introduces us to a school for people with extraordinary abilities in The Unchosen #1. The story opens with the event that brought Aida to the school. After this brief interlude with the bird, we return to the moment her life changed. Aida awakened in a pit. Devastation surrounded her. Her teachers, Alex and Vasha, were the first people she saw. But she didn't know who they were. Frightened, Aida sought her mother. But amid the blasted ground and buildings, her mother was nowhere in sight.
The Unchosen #1 reveals a power struggle between two schools. While bullies like Ezra may inhabit Aida's school, her teachers, Alex and Vasha, seem better suited to caring for her. But the instructors of the opposing school fight to include her in their ranks. Even if Aida doubts her abilities, yearns to return home, and utters colorful metaphors.
Art
Marissa Louise welcomes us into a forest infused with green vitality. Despite the densely packed trees, sunlight pierces the canopy, dappling the brown trunks yellow. The boys' gray calf-length socks contrast with the girls’ gray hose as the students gather clad in their gray and red shorts, skirts, blazers, and ties. Compared with their staid attire, the blue, orange, and green plumage decries the tiny bird's demise. Ezra's nose splatters his face and white shirt with red when Aida punches him. Yet the bully's blonde hair shines as brightly as Aida's yellow boots.
But then, Alex shares Ezra’s blonde hair in The Unchosen #1. Their teacher strides in with a red-trimmed brown cloak over his brown slacks. Like Alex, Vasha also appears as Aida first saw her in the brown pit. Her white hair, scarf, and boots contrast with the black catsuit that enhances her fighting skills. Vasha’s white cloak’s scarlet interfacing shines whether attacking soldiers or confronting the representative of a rival school. When she removes her jacket and gloves, tattoos cover every visible part of Vasha’s arms, torso, and fists.
DC Hopkins fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters that grow bold for intonation, swell for volume, and shrink for lowered voices. Incantations appear as white symbols amid red and purple. Sound effects heighten a confrontation, while Aida's redacted dialogue enhances the appeal of this colorful, energetic, and action-packed debut. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Viktor Krum's Durmstrang and Harry Potter's Hogwarts utilize different curricula. The Unchosen #1 introduces us to two more schools with opposing viewpoints. One, like Freddie Mercury, says, "We want it all, and we want it now." The other, like Axl Rose, urges us to "Take it slow, and things will be just fine."
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
No comments:
Post a Comment