Quest #1: Demons on a Wedding Day

Quest #1 from Jonathan Luna and Crystal Wood is a refreshing first issue that manages to world-build, develop characters, and provide fantastic art—all within its 32-page entry, fantasy readers will not want to miss out.

Luna handles the story, illustrations, and designs, while Crystal Wood handles the script. The two make for a solid pairing as this first issue was incredibly accessible and developed fantasy frameworks in a Southeast Asian-inspired land.

There is undoubtedly some shock value to this comic. The issue begins with a wedding ceremony that becomes bloody and violent after the first few pages. After the dust settles from the battle, the parents of Devyan and Anya (the couple getting married) deal with the conflicting methods to remedy the recent attack and how to rescue the kidnapped Devyan. Against her parent’s wishes and with the trust of her guardian, Tor, plans are set to venture into the great unknown.

The script and pacing were well done as an entry into a new series. There are few quiet moments, making for a fast-paced read as it keeps readers engaged. The is a style of its own, and Luna does an excellent job putting details where it’s most important. While the backgrounds sometimes look a little empty compared to the characters and intricate clothing, the art works well for this series. (Minor spoilers) A particular standout in the art rests not in the battle against demons but on the last page. The cinematic design, rich colors, and use of page space all make for a beautiful addition to the reading experience.

One element that could be tweaked is the choice to include dialogue-heavy scenes. Fantasy stories have the challenge of creating worlds and environments, and sometimes this comes as an exposition-heavy dump of information to catch the reader up to speed. In the event of Quest, this is not the case; however, in the moments where dialogue is heavy, the lettering is too clean compared to the art—removing readers from the experience. It could derive from the lettering looking like standard sentences compared to all caps in other series, but this is a minor note compared to the stellar entry this issue has done.