Reviews
REVIEW: Legends of Lys Volume 1
Script and art by Brandon Gorski
Published by In The Shade Publications
I was not new to Legends of Lys (LoL); I reviewed In The Shade’s sample issue, which included an opening chapter to LoL in it. I liked what I saw then, and when Brandon offered me a digital trade of volume 1, I jumped at the opportunity to read it!
LoL is a fantasy tale with hints of sci-fi. Volume one follows a girl named Ilona on her journey to become a paladin of legend! She encounters golems, goblins, storm gods and witches and loads of other fantastic creatures. The main plot unfolds around the Storm God Talos’ quest to meet young Ilona, and his assault on Sanctum.
The story is enjoyable and rant with a fair bit of nostalgia for me. I felt the story could have easily happened on a Saturday morning cartoon when I was young. Not that the story isn’t serious and engaging, but there’s a nostalgic vibe, at least for me. In another sense, I could see this story being the basis for a DnD campaign among friends. The world of Lys could prove a very fruitful realm for DND, and I half imagine the story spawned from Gorski’s friends around a table rolling dice.
The story is fun and ends on a cliffhanger, and with Volume 2 due out in 2021, it’s a perfect time to break down volume one!
Story
1-star
Again, this story is a classic fantasy story, which I personally love! You can tell Gorski has thought this world out well and knows the ins and outs of his own universe. This is important, because too often people jump into fantasy without fully think through their world’s history and nuances. Gorski has, and it comes through in the story. You can feel that each character is hiding more just below the surface and that eventually it will come out.
Art
.5-stars
If you follow Gorski’s Instagram page, you’ll know he’s a solid artist, however doing great commissions is different from doing the art for a whole comic book. The art isn’t bad, in fact there’s glimpses of really, really nice work, but there are other times where the art seems less polished. Again, seeing some of his other work, I’m looking for more consistent art in volume two.
Dialogue
.5-stars
The dialogue is solid, though the most dialogue comes from Talos. I would have loved to learn more about the other characters and their personalities in the story, but perhaps we will in volume two.
Mechanics
1-star
The story is well told, unfolds nicely and has few technical issues.
Editing
.75 stars
Well edited with only a few minor errors.
All-in-all Legends of Lys is a fun fantasy story that I recommend picking up! Volume two is sure to improve on Volume one. If you like fantasy, Legends of Lys is a sure bet.
