The Heavenly Bride Book Two

The second volume of Katrina Joyner's collected webcomic. I purchased both volumes by way of Kickstarter in 2016. My review of the first volume is here.

Title: The Heavenly Bride
Issue: Book Two
Publisher: The Writers of the Apocalypse
Date: 2016
Writer: Katrina Joyner
Artist: Katrina Joyner

The second volume of Katrina Joyner's collected webcomic, The Heavenly Bride, continues the entanglement between Lhung, a celestial dragon in human/vampire form, and Taus, a winged assassin in training.

This volume delivers quite a bit more plot than the first book in the series, and it introduces new characters while solidifying the worldbuilding. It also brings the tragedy of Lhung's vampiric nature to the fore, and provides the needed backstory for a better understanding of Taus' complex situation.

There is a sexual assault and the subsequent response to it that, while not show graphically, was an unpleasant sequence that also ventured into some overplayed tropes, but it does not remain a focus, and the story is able to move beyond it.

The setting becomes more fascinating as it is fleshed out, and the minor characters get a lot of development. This is a story with a lot going on, and I'm interested to see how it continues to develop.

Rating: 8.5/10

Akashik

From the random stack of unread comics (technically this one was not unread; I just hadn't gotten around to reviewing it). I got this issue directly from one of the creators, Katrina Joyner, who I worked with on numerous projects in the past.

Title: Akashik
Publisher: The Writers of the Apocalypse
Writer: Katrina Joyner, Rebecca Pinder, Jenny Anderson, Halona Brooks
Artist: Katrina Joyner, Rebecca Pinder, Jenny Anderson, Halona Brooks

This is a humorous space opera, beginning with a woman trapped in space on an unworking spaceship. She has a mechanic aboard, but it's becoming clear that he may not be up to the task of getting the ship fixed up. And he may not be able to put up with her long enough to get the job done anyway.

There are bounty hunters, an elite warrior-team known for killing off entire planets, and plenty of snarky dialogue. There is also a flashback the connects the two main characters in a really interesting and unexpected way.

This story jumps right into things, and moves at a quick pace. The humor works well, and there is good chemistry between the two main characters.

Rating: 7.5/10

Heavenly Bride Book One

I got this (along with the second volume) by way of Katrina Joyner's Kickstarter campaign last year.

Title: Heavenly Bride
Issue: Book One
Publisher: The Writers of the Apocalypse
Date: 2016
Writer: Katrina Joyner
Artist: Katrina Joyner

Lhung, a celestial dragon, takes on mortal form, and soon falls in love with Taus, a mysterious young woman who seems to be able to see him for what he truly is.

Their growing friendship in complicated by a succession of factors, not the least of which is that the body that Lhung now inhabits happens to be vampiric in nature.

This is a nicely paced supernatural romance that builds slowly and gives the reader a chance to get to know the characters as the tension and complications grow. The world is familiar enough to be accessible, and the supernatural elements are woven smoothly into the setting.

Because of the pacing the story sets, not a lot gets resolved in this first volume. This book is all about adding conflicts rather than solving them. It is still a very good introduction to the characters and settings with a good amount of plot twists to keep things moving along.

The artwork is lovely, and the bits of color splashed in places throughout the book serve as a nice addition to grab the reader's attention.

I'm looking forward to checking out the second volume.

Rating: 8.5/10

30 Day Comic Challenge Day 23

Day 23 - Your Favorite Artist.

Like many folks, I find this a very difficult question. There are so many artists who have contributed to my love of comics. After much deliberation, I'm going to choose Charles Vess.



Part of my love for Vess' work comes from my love of the fantasy genre. Vess takes every subject he illustrates and infuses it with a sense of magical wonder that suits fantasy perfectly. And he does it with incredible attention to detail.

From My Creations

When it comes to the comics I write and the artists I work with, I really can't choose favorites. I'm going to have to call this one a draw. I've been fortunate enough, since I co-founded Dandelion Studios to work with four absolutely awesome artists. Here are some quick samples.

Gynn Stella draws Zephyr & Reginald: Minions for Hire.



Missy Pena draws Perils of Picorna.



Katrina Joyner draws Kaeli & Rebecca.



Alice Veidt draws Stone.



The 30 Day Comic Challenge Page on Facebook is here. Here is the complete list of daily topics:

30 Day Comic Challenge
Day 01 - Your first comic book.
Day 02 - Your favorite character.
Day 03 - A comic that is underrated.
Day 04 - Your guilty pleasure comic or character.
Day 05 - Comic character you feel you are most like (or wish you were).
Day 06 - Most annoying character.
Day 07 - Favorite comic couple.
Day 08 - Best series being published right now.
Day 09 - Most touching comic book/comic book scene.
Day 10 - Dream versus match.
Day 11 - Favorite comic book cartoon series.
Day 12 - A comic everyone should read.
Day 13 - A book you’ve read more than five times.
Day 14 – Most awesome single comic book image
Day 15 - A Picture from the comic you’re reading right now.
Day 16 - Funniest comic book/comic book scene.
Day 17 - Most useless Villain.
Day 18 - Favorite B-list character.
Day 19 - Comic book city/universe you wish you lived in.
Day 20 - Favorite super power or skill.
Day 21 - Favorite writer.
Day 22 - A series that you liked but stopped reading
Day 23 - Your favorite artist.
Day 24 - Dream character team up.
Day 25 - A book you plan on reading.
Day 26 - A comic you wish they would make into a movie.
Day 27 - Favorite comic book movie.
Day 28 - Favorite comic publisher.
Day 29 - A comic you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving.
Day 30 - Your favorite run or series of all time.