A Creative, Lavishly Illustrated Fantasy World: Isola (New Comics Wednesday)

Isola, Volume I (Trade Paperback)

Today is Wednesday, and that means it's New Comic Book Day - the day all of this week's new comics hit the store shelves (both physically and digitally). Every comic I feature here on Daddy Rolled a 1 is one that I'll personally be picking up later this evening when I go to my local shop with my daughter after I pick her up from school.

Please note also that almost every Wednesday, I tweet out which issues I picked up that week, and then over the course of the week I send out individual tweets with 140-character reviews of each issue. You can follow me on Twitter here.

Lastly, if you're really interested in more comic reviews, I do "professional" reviews for the comic book site, ComicAttack where I post my reviews under the name "Martin." You can search my tag to see what I've reviewed lately.

Today, one of the comics I'll be picking up is Isola #10, by writer Brenden Fletcher (probably best known for his new take on Batgirl, the "Batgirl of Burnside" and for "Gotham Academy"), artist Karl Kerschl (who worked with Fletcher on Gotham Academy, and has also worked on a variety of other comics including Adventures of Superman, Majestic, and Teen Titans: Year One), and colors by Msassyk (who, again, also worked on Gotham Academy). Fletcher and Kerschl were childhood friends, and that sense of companionship does help inform the story and shows up on the page in the relationships of the characters.

Overview
This is a fantasy-based series in a mystical land, and it starts in-media-res, with a main character, Queen Olwyn, having been transformed into a tiger. Her companion, Captain Rook of the Royal Guard, is a fierce, talented, and very dedicated soldier, who accompanies her queen on a quest to reverse whatever enchantment and return the queen to her human form.

The ongoing story is about the trials and tribulations these two companions encounter as they travel the land on their way to the mythical Isola, the Land of the Dead, and meet a variety of characters of both the helpful and sinister variety.

A page from Isola #1
Image © 2018 Image Comics

Why I Like It
Firstly, the gorgeous artwork by Karl Kerschl immediately conveys the scope and wonder of the world that he and Fletcher are creating, and combined with the colors of Msassyk, the visuals are very reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli films (a comparison you'll find pop up in nearly every review of the comic).

The fantasy world the creators are developing is rich and unique, with creative twists on common fantasy narrative hooks to keep readers guessing what is going to happen next. Each different culture and organization is given its own goals and outlook and accompanied by distinctive imagery to give them depth and complexity that many other fantasy stories gloss over. Fletcher and Kerschl introduce the royalty and nobility of the land, along with soldiers, nomads, shamans, wild animals (some seemingly magical), and various dark forces that help build the world and make it seem real. To complete the richness of the world, the characters travel through a variety of different environments, including rain forests, deserts, mountain passes, and more on their way to Isola.

The main point-of-view character, Captain Rook, is one of my favorite characters of the fantasy genre. She's a relatively new captain, but her sense of devotion and loyalty to Queen Olwyn are strong. As a rookie, (note the play-on-words of her name), she makes a few mistakes, sometimes misjudging the intentions of characters she meets on her travels, and often not keeping a proper sense of formality for her Queen, such as referring to her by first name until a stern look reminds her of her place. I like that Rook is a female character, but nothing about her sex is important to the story. She's just treated as a soldier no different from her male counterparts.

A page from Isola #1
Image © 2018 Image Comics
(Yes there is dialogue in these issues;
I picked some images without to show-
off the gorgeous visuals)

Role-Playing Game Applications
There are so many ideas you can grab from this comic, whether it's just bits and pieces to add to an existing campaign, or whether you want to try to build a setting from scratch that is based on the comic.

For players and DMs, there are a lot of examples of different character types and personalities that can be used as a basis for creating PCs and NPCs - soldiers/knights, hunters, shamans, dark sorcerers, wild hermits, and more. You'd also have an instant image to use as a way to show what your character looks like.

For DMs, there are great depictions of different types of societies as well as new monsters, and ideas like using spirit animals to help guide quests for your players.

I highly recommend checking this out, for the breathtaking visuals, world-building, characterization, and compelling story of a character on a quest that seems determined to try to defeat her but one at which she is compelled to achieve.

ISOLA

• Format: "Monthly" series, full color. While it's supposed to be monthly, the first issue came out in the Spring of 2018, and issue #10 is coming out today, so it's a bit of a sporadic schedule. I suspect the delays are due to getting the art ready. 
• Where to Buy: As always, try to buy it at your local comic shop. You can find one by visiting the Comic Shop Locator. If you don't have one, try a bookstore, or you can buy the digital version to read on your PC, tablet, or smartphone by going to Comixology.  That link takes you to the Isola page, where you can find a link to buy the individual issues. 
• Price: $3.99 per issue. You can also buy the first trade paperback that covers issues #1-5 for only $9.99. 
• Rated: It mentions on Comixology that it's for "Ages 15+ only." I'd say that's pretty appropriate - there isn't anything necessarily bad that younger kids shouldn't read, but there are some pretty tough themes that involve betrayal, human slavery, animal cruelty, and more that might be a little too intense for younger readers. 
• More Information: The official Isola page on Image Comics' website is here. 

Hanging: Home office (laptop)
Drinking: tap water
Listening: "Funky Drummer - Part 1 and 2" by James Brown, from the album "In the Jungle Groove"