ISOLA #1-9 review - The Empress's New Groove

(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Isola (pronounced "ee-so-luh") is a currently ongoing fantasy comic co-written by Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl, illustrated by Kershl along with MSassyK and Aditya Bidikar, that launched in 2018. Published by Image Comics, it is by part of the same creative team who worked on the acclaimed Gotham Academy series (which unfortunately didn't exactly sell too hot). It is currently bimonthly, rather than the usual monthly schedule comics have--primarily due to Kerschl taking lots of time with his art. If you frequent r/ImageComics, you may have seen me frequently speaking highly of the comic, which I believe to be one of the best comics currently coming out on stands now. Being that Isola is not as much of an arc-driven comic (each issue builds on the last, but I don't think so far that they build up to arcs as something like DIE or Saga would), I figured I would review the series thus far based on the issues that are currently out every once and a while, to provide my updated thoughts on the series whenever there's a change in my opinion or something new to talk about.


I've said it before, and I'll say it again--Isola is by far the best looking comic right now. A major part of that is obviously Kerschl's splendid artwork which has a very "animated" flair to it. It's the kind of art style that would make for a killer animated film or series, but still works phenomenally on the page. Then you have the character designs, which are terrific and ooze this level of visual mastery you don't usually get anywhere, let alone comics. But I would be remiss to not give kudos in equal measure to MSassyK's color work--which is vibrant and magnificent, elevating Kerschl's line-work and making it something that feels singular in the broader comics industry--and Bidikar's stunning lettering. Bidikar's work on this has singlehandedly made him my favorite letterer working today, it's damn near a work of art on its own. Absolutely gorgeous, leaps off the page. With the team that's working on the art is putting out their a-game so spectacularly, it could be very easy for Isola to be a pretty looker, with not much to write home about with regards to the narrative and whatnot. Thankfully, this is not the case.


Isola is more at home with the Princess Mononoke's of the world rather than something in the vein of Lord of the Rings, with regards to how it decides to handle the fantasy. The worldbuilding is subtle, intentionally Miyazaki-esque, crafting a world that is grand in scope and has readers such as myself eager to read as much more as there is to come. It's a place where there's this palpable sense of adventure--like if you wandered off the page, you'd be sure to stumble onto some sort of majestic yet eery wonder. This is not a narratively driven comic a la Saga, The Wicked + the Divine, Deadly Class, or Extremity. This is a comic where you soak in the atmosphere and the lore, a comic that grows and grows on you like some kind of marvelous parasite until you just become incredibly pestered when you've caught up and know that the next issue is a couple months away. But I am glad that the team takes their time with it, keeping a consistent level of quality. I'd always rather read 6 incredible issues of this a year as opposed to 12 rushed, probably mediocre ones.


But characters are of course something important to talk about. Like the worldbuilding, the character work is more ethereal. You don't get these huge marquee moments where these characters spring off the page with vim and vigor because they did something unbelievably cool, funny, chilling--instead, Isola takes a more chill, laid back approach where you are left to connect the dots at certain points when it comes to character relationships. And I'm not going to get too spoilery for the benefit of those who have not yet given this book that much of a look into, but there's this wonderful romantic thread that at first feels like it's a shock (in a good way), but once you think over things it becomes clear how elegantly foreshadowed and hinted at it was beforehand. This romance is a major driving force for tension in later issues--you want things to work out for those characters, they're genuinely quite cute together and their relationship feels natural, intriguing.


The story-line itself in Isola is basically an elevated take on The Emperor's New Groove, so it isn't as wacky as my cheeky nickname for it in the headline might suggest. As I said before, it's more atmospheric and lore-driven, and that's something I appreciate, even though I enjoy a good narrative comic too. The thing is, there exists a metric fuck ton of terrific comics that fit that bill (Southern Bastards, Mountainhead, Once & Future, These Savage Shores, Kennel Block Blues, Invisible Kingdom--to name but a sliver), whereas there aren't so many that fit this one. Comics that you can just sorta vibe to and feel like you're experiencing this wonderful journey at a solid pace.


Comics like Isola are why I am absolutely in love with the alternative comics scene. Where Marvel and DC frequently kill interest in series by bogging them down in ceaseless and senseless crossover excess, Isola and its ilk bring something fresh and exciting to the table that has yet to lose me. Maybe it will. Maybe it will jump the shark somewhere down the road. Who knows. But even if it does, the first nine issues have me in a place where I'd be willing to give it the benefit of the doubt going forward. I'm adoring this thing, and hope that not only I will continue to, but that more people will give it their attention and hop on the bandwagon. If this became the next Saga or WicDiv in a few years, that'd be fantastic to see. Isola issues #1-9 get a 9.5/10 from this guy.

Must-read

Summary:
A supernal fantasy comic with the best visuals out there at the moment.

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