Wanted: Inca Prophecy Girl. No, not Ampata, but Rayne: a girl with a chip on her shoulder, possessing super powers, and willing to serve justice to the people.

Descendant #1
Publisher: Image
Writers: Michael Dolce and Marcus Perry
Artist: Mariano Navarro
Cover: Tyler Kirkham

Summary: Lietuant Rayne, tortured by her past and devoted to serving justice, is believed to be the manifestation of an old Incan prophecy. After her buried past seeks out to find her, Rayne must confront her personal demons and travel the distance to fight new ones. Will she make it in time to save her people? Better yet; will her people let her save them?

Review: Dolce and Perry both present a story teeming with themes of religion, morality, and the supernatural. A fantastic and bold introduction, Descendant #1 leaves no stone unturned.

Lietuant Rayne, a snarky, beautiful and courageous woman, has been running from her past since she left it back in her village, Martagal. Through multiple series of flashbacks, the truth behind her shrouded past is eventually unveiled. Born with the “gift” and destiny to be the true protector of her people, Rayne developed powers that she could not easily control, thus destroying and ending the lives of many of her people.

Leading a life of danger by serving justice, Rayne finds herself continuously alone, despite having a romantic liasion with her fellow partner, the Priest. The Priest only makes a brief appearance in this debut, but will undoubtedly be back in the future. Her life is then interrupted by a figure from her past, awakening dormant emotions in Rayne and bringing buried memories to the forefront. The man is Vergarra, a man from her village, coming to warn Rayne of the curses that have befallen Martagal. Rayne is enraged and astonished: why would she want to help out the very people that exiled her in the first place?

After revealing that her brothers are being held captive by what will most likely be the central Antagonist in the story, Dr. Alexis Bane, Rayne has a change of heart and decides to flee her current life to battle the monsters overtaking her people from her past life. So she packs up her things, leaves the Priest a Dear John letter, and heads back home, only to find herself subjected to the same cruel treatment that cast her out in the first place.

Descendant’s debut is rich with substance and paints quite the vivid world. However, our main character, Rayne, doesn’t possess a whole lot of originality. Tortured soul haunted by past demons and presently fighting crime—does that ring a bell to anyone? Though her special powers hint at great things to come, Rayne’s over-used agenda isn’t anything to write home about.

That being said, the artwork in Dolce and Perry’s debut is pretty fantastic. Lush, gold tones paired with vibrant red-oranges unify the comic and subconsciously place themes of religion and mythology into the minds of readers. Rayne herself isn’t anything too unique, but she is feminine without being overly sexual. Navarro hits the nail on the head with Descendant’s artwork, and enriches Dolce and Perry’s writing to a whole other level.

Dolce and Perry craft an interesting tale with the debut of Descendant #1. A lot has transpired in this first issue, and hopefully that signifies that there’s going to be a whole lot more to come. Rayne, though cliched, still stands as a strong character that will most likely undergo many changes. It’s always refreshing to see a female lead suffering from rage and guilt. I’m excited to see what direction Dolce will take with Rayne. Will she overcome her guilt, become the prophesied Protector, and save her people?

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