Review: Isola Vol. 1
Quick Summary
Pros: The worldbuilding here is impressive and helps create a truly compelling world. The worldbuilding works with the art to fill the book with an awesome feeling of wonder. The plotline is captivating and the characters are interesting. The artwork is gorgeous and enhances the book at every turn.
Cons: The book starts deep in media res, which makes the first half very confusing.
Overall: In this book, readers see the start of an epic journey and discover the wonder of a whole new world. Breathtaking visuals and an interesting narrative hook readers from the start and things only evolve from there. This is a polished book, from both a visual and narrative standpoint, making for an incredibly enjoyable reading experience. Anyone can enjoy this book, but those looking for beautiful artwork or fascinating worldbuilding will be specifically rewarded.
Story
Isola Vol. 1, by Brenden Fletcher, is a bold introduction to a world of intrigue and wonder. In this collection, readers discover a whole new universe, one inhabited by strange creatures and unique societies. Learning about this complex system of nature and culture is an awesome experience and makes this book worthwhile all on its own. The narrative only adds to this experience, as it introduces compelling story elements that range from quick bouts of action to charming tales of romance. The book’s only downside is that the first half is confusing, yet even this negative can be viewed as a positive depending on the reader. Overall, Isola Vol. 1 is a worthwhile read and a promising start to a new series.
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Isola Vol. 1‘s biggest accomplishment is the worldbuilding. With this series, Brenden Fletcher has created a complex universe inhabited by royalty, soldiers, nomadic hunters, shamanic tribes, and an array of seemingly mystical animals. All of these elements come together to form a complex cultural and political system where war and self-interest appear to undermine an otherwise beautiful society. The entire structure of this world is impressive to see and makes a solid setting upon which the story can play out.
Intense worldbuilding like this also contributes to the sense of wonder that the entire book establishes. Learning about the complex structure of society is nearly as entertaining as learning about the actual plot. In some ways, the collection feels like a mystery book, where the reader’s goal is to develop an understanding of the world in Isola.
However, the actual narrative in Isola Vol. 1 is just as entertaining. The volume follows characters who are constantly in danger, fleeing from enemies and pursuing a seemingly unobtainable goal. Eventually, a love story also develops, which adds some character driven drama to the mix. Though this narrative still feels as if it is in its infancy, it is already compelling and successfully made me more interested in the world of Isola.
The biggest downside in Isola Vol. 1 is that the first half ends up being very confusing. This book starts out deep in media res, executing story elements and focusing on character relationships that have yet to be introduced. For some, this won’t be much of a problem; I enjoyed slowly discovering more about the characters and the trials they are facing. However, for others, this could easily be a major downside, as readers will spend the first half of the book not understanding what is going on.
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Art
The artwork in Isola Vol. 1 is incredible and is easily one of the best aspects of this entire collection. Karl Kerschl creates a stunning world teeming with diverse characters and environments. Every element of this book presents a crisp and clean visual experience with an instantly recognizable level of polish. Plus each character and location has a unique and well-defined look to them, making them feel as memorable as artwork from a Studio Ghibli or Disney film. All of this is then enhanced by MSASSYK’s colors, which wonderfully capture the mood of each scene.
However, the best part of Isola‘s visuals is the way in which they make the reading experience better. Much of the appeal in this book comes from the wonder generated by its worldbuilding, yet none of this appeal would be possible without the visual experience provided by Karl Kershl and MSASSYK. Hearing about the powers of the Mora or the might of the Hallum is one thing but having it right in front of you is an entirely different experience altogether. This book is an example of art and story working in harmony, and the results clearly speak for themselves.
Continuity
Isola Vol. 1 is the first volume in a brand new comic series and has no connections to previously existing comics.
The story here continues in Isola Vol. 2.