‘Mae #7’ (review)

Written and Illustrated by Gene Ha
Published by Lion Roar Comics / Roar

The first six issues of this book were a complete delight.

Gene Ha made the story complex enough for adults to enjoy and accessible enough for young adults to appreciate as well.

An all ages book is more rare than one would think in the comic book industry.

When this series ended last Mae, Abbie, and Kvido finally came together in this mystical and strange land. It was there that the siblings made a pact together.

The pact is to find their father in this fantasy land, wherever he may be. They find themselves in the opening of this new issue on the road. And the three bump into an old friend.

Their old friend is Petra who is now a queen.

They see her and it leads to a conflict. Mae and gang are in a rush though. There’s an angry Zemetasi army that is after them!

Then, one of Queen Petra’s men tries to touch Ani and she slaps him. This leads to Petra challenging Ani to a duel for doing that to one of her men! The drama gets incredibly high!

Things settle down and then the three leave. But not before Queen Petra swears to Ani that they will meet again one day. And that when they do, Petra will kill her. It’s a particularly powerful scene.

Then, tensions boil between Ani and Mae. It leads to the two separating on the road due to an intense disagreement. The end of the issue has a particularly strong and passionate full page shot. It’s both beautiful to look at and emotional.

Ha is as good a writer as he is an artist and blends the two crafts seamlessly. The art is beautiful to look at and it’s definitely his best work. The character and creature design is strong as are the panel layouts. This book is quite excellent. There really is something for everyone here.

RATING: A