REVIEW: Ruination #1

Review: Ruination Issue 1

Writer: Ryan Bis
Artist: Giulia Lalli
Colors: Kaytee Brown
Letters: Matías Zanetti
Cover: Rio Burton
Editor: Nicole D’Andria
Publisher: Curious Perspective Comics

I was immediately drawn to Ruination with the art. I am a huge fan of fantasy art and loved the magical feel that the cover portrayed. Ruination’s introduction set a familiar tone, with a new twist. The story is about every day people trying to navigate this new, post-war torn, world, and how they struggle with relatable human elements. The human and magic elements are well balanced with the magic adding to the narrative instead of being the main focal point. A lot of fantasy stories hinge on the magical elements to drive the narrative, but Ruination does a great job of using the human elements as a driving force. 

ARTWORK:

1 Star

The art is perfect for a fantasy book. Everything blends perfectly and makes the comic very enjoyable to read. Even the magical elements of the art feel natural, and the earthly elements compliment the story beautifully. 

STORY:

.75  Star

Most fantasy titles start off before a great war, but Ruination introduces us to a world that was destroyed by a centuries-long war between nations and is now experiencing a time of peace, but as we see in the first issue, peace only lasts so long. Issue 1 is a bit fast-paced but introduces us to a group of relatable characters, and fantasy elements that we are all used to. The emotional connections in the book really hook you and sets a great tone for future issues. 

DIALOGUE:

.75 Star

Dialogue can be tricky when trying to establish so many characters, but the character exchanges are believable and the writing is solid. Each character has a different tone ranging from the serious fighter to the headstrong survivor. The instances of humor are done well too, adding strength to the familial elements of the story. 

EDITING:

1 Star

I found no issues in the editing. Dialog bubbles and boxes were well placed, and emphasis on specific words was well thought out. 

MECHANICS:

.75 Stars

The story is laid out well, but the character jumps got a little confusing at first. I read through each transition a couple of times to make sure I understood who the focal point was. Some character models were similar causing a little confusion during the story transitions. The lettering is well done, and the panels flow perfectly. I enjoyed the blurred backgrounds that drove the focus to the characters. Sometimes busy backgrounds can take away from the focus.