Bottom line: When you walk into the comic shop tomorrow, add this title to your list. Why? Read on to find out why Dragon Prince is a must-read.
Dragon Prince #1
Writers: Ron Marz, Jeff Johnson
Artists: Lee Moder
Cover: David Finch
Full Color, 32 pages, $2.99
Top Cow was nice enough to send us over a preview of Dragon Prince – a new limited series that comes directly from the imagination of Witchblade writer Ron Marz and Amazing Spider-Man scribe Jeff Johnson. Add pencils by Lee Moder (First Born: Aftermath) and guest star covers by artists such as Stjepan Sejic, David Finch, Brandon Peterson, David Petersen and Ryan Sook, and you have a formula for a stellar comic.
Premise: The four-part book focuses on the life of Aaron Chiang, an angst-filled teen who feels – like most youth his age – that he does not fit in, that he is different. Turns out he is right. In fact, Aaron is royalty among a lost race. He is a Dragon Prince, the last of his kind and sole heir to the bloodline of the dragon. After being hunted to the brink of extinction, the fate of dragon-kind now lies in his hands. Talk about a lot of pressure for a teen.
Impressions: I will be honest here. I am really fickle when it comes to what comics I pick up. I expressed earlier this week in an opinion post that I tend to be drawn towards comics with strong female leads. Now that I have switched from video game to comic coverage here at GEN, I have been forced to expand my horizons – to look past my comfort zone and beyond the superficial qualities I am usually drawn to in titles. To my surprise, I have been having quite a bit of fun. Dragon Prince is one of the reasons I am glad to have become a comic editor. I might have looked past it otherwise.
The book begins with a glimpse into dragon lore as told through a bedtime story. By this method we are introduced to Aaron and his mother, who by coincidence (or perhaps not) is a fantasy writer with an affinity for certain flying reptiles.
As the scene transitions back to reality, we learn Aaron is at a crossroads in his life – not too uncommon among teens. He feels that his mother still treats him as a boy, and at age 14, bedtime stories may no longer be appropriate. He also struggles with school – being made fun of for his bi-racial heritage and for not having a father figure in his life. We flash to the next day, where we see the scene unfold in person. Sadly, the bullying behavior by an equally self-conscious teen does not seem unrealistic in the least.
But this time, things are different. Aaron, used to being the punching bag at school, fights back – unintentionally. Confused by what he thinks is an upset stomach, he begins to turn green…literally. Moments later, Aaron spits fire, burning his tormentor by accident in the process. Sprinting home in tears, he calls for his mom – and in his fear and confusion, turns back into the boy he so protests he has left behind. At that moment my heart went out to him. Turns out Aaron has a reason to be afraid, and his life as he knows it will never be the same.
After reading the very last line, I found myself almost angry about being left hanging. Perhaps it is simply because of the nature of the story. Coming-of-age tales are not too uncommon in modern comics, but this story features a young and confused boy at its core. Now he has to fear for his life as well as that of his only family. It reminds us of how quicky our lives can change – even if not on such a fantastic scale.
I can’t wait to read the next book, because I have a feeling that Aaron will step up to the plate. He will be forced to grow up faster than kids of his age should, but he is a Dragon Prince. Royal blood courses through his veins. This kid won’t go down without a fight.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I’ve been meaning to jump into comicland.. would this be a good starter?
September 11th, 2008 at 11:46 am
OooOoohhh! Fantastic read VG!! I was sad that it ended, lol I was getting into it. I’ll have to pick this up, it seems really good!
September 11th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Mandy, I think Dragon Prince would be a great starter comic. It is intended to appeal to all ages and has a solid story. There are a ton of good titles out there to introduce you to the world of comics, but if you are a bit of a fantasy nut, this is a good start.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Sorry, had to read the comic first!
Great review, Meg! And I can support Meg’s claim—I’ve read it and this comic DOES rock. Holy snap!
(And Meg, that’s one of the reasons I’m glad I came on with GEN … with Comic Junkie, reviews, and everything else, it forces me to look beyond what I usually pick up and expand my tastes in comics. Top Cow has definitely helped with that; I’m so glad. Now I’m into a lot of non-superhero stuff—it’s refreshing!
)
Oh my god I love all the stuff the kid in this comic has. XD I’m a sucker for dragons, and I love his Zelda shirt—and he’s reading ERAGON! Except, ahem, am I a total geek for not only having read Eragon, but pointing out that the artist of this comic got the cover and title wrong? Eragon has a blue cover and dragon—Eldest has the red cover and dragon. Silly artist.
And when I was reading the comic … Hey, punk! Not everyone likes ear buds.
Those things don’t stay in my ears, haha … meh.