Review: Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince

Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Is it possible for a story to have too fast of a pace? Of course it is. If something isn't given enough time to be explained or analyzed or even cooked, it can appear to be underdeveloped. It can be the result of limited space or time or being the prequel to another story. Having the context exist, but not in the actual story you're telling. Ultimately, leaving everyone with a sense that the story needed more room to be flushed out. Like asking a question and answering it without fully exploring its meaning.

I read 'A Darker Shade of Magic' a few years ago and felt I probably should have binged on the entire series before reading this. I enjoyed the novel but wasn't quite sure how to feel about its comic cousin. I almost felt bad that I wasn't fully invested in this story. That maybe it was me or the story just doesn't fully translate well into a graphic form. But that's bullshit. Each story needs to justify itself on its own terms. Not by another story you may or may not remember super well. Even if it's written by the same person.

The dialogue is written well enough. The story itself though feels like it should have been six issues instead of four. There isn't enough characterization to understand why most people are doing much of anything. Why does the prince have any beef with the pirate queen? I know she's kind of a bitch and laying pipe on his turf, but there isn't any reason for him to go after her beyond the plot demanding it. We're only given one backstory and its fairly generic. Editing not only involves taking bad stuff out but also putting good stuff in.

The art is serviceable. It has a nice consistency to it, which I liked, but it's a little dark and some of the characters don't stand out as well as they should. Also, the covers are better than the interiors. Something that always annoys me. Comic books should always put as much work on the inside as the outside. I know it costs time and money, but a half-assed job is forever.

I think that there was too much of a focus on getting fans invested in the story so they would continue reading. A little introductory tale before the main quest. The problem is that this story goes by too fast to understand why you're even there in the first place. It's like a meal that doesn't fill you up. It wants you to order seconds, but I'd rather have something that satisfies me the first time.

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