AZZA THE BARBED #1, from Scout Comics on October 12th, 2022, enters a world of magic, prophecies, demons, and legacies as Azza copes with a life cast out of her family for the cursed marks on her body.
The Details
- Written by: Pat Shand
- Art by: Rio Burton
- Colors by: Rio Burton
- Letters by: Jim Campbell
- Cover art by: Rio Burton
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: October 12, 2022
Is It Good?
AZZA THE BARBED #1 is a creative start to a new series that explores what it means to be isolated from family by circumstances beyond your control. You could make the case Shand is presenting an allegory for one or more social issues of the day, but the premise is presented with enough creativity and distance from the real world to stand on its own without the need to read too much into it.
Shand’s script focuses on Azza – a woman cursed with barbed marks magically written on her body during a coming-of-age ceremony known as the Obsidian Birthright. Every person who comes of age and undergoes the ceremony has no control over what marks they receive, but Azza is banished from all familial and social circles as the people believe she receives the barbed marks because she’s wicked on the inside.
Again, you could easily turn this into an allegory for racism, homophobia, or any social ill of your choosing. However, Shand creates a unique world of ethereal spiritualism with a well-developed set of rules and unique cultural aspects to integrate the message organically within the society. The world, characters, magical creatures, and customs feel lived-in, so you can believe Azza’s predicament is a natural part of her world, even if her predicament seems familiar.
When the action gets going (an imprisoned demon escapes), Azza’s circumstances change radically, leading to an “Oh, snap!” moment with oodles of possibilities. On this point alone, it’s worth picking up the second issue to see how it plays out. Therefore, Shand created an exceptionally effective cliffhanger by putting Azza at the lowest point possible, and then flipping her circumstances in such a way as to either may her circumstances much worse or significantly better. It’s impossible to guess where the story will go, so surprise wins the day in Shand’s cliffhanger.
Burton’s art is very good in this issue. The lines are clean, the colors are vibrant, and the magic and creature designs are whimsical. The visuals are as creative as the narrative, so it looks like Shand and Burton will be a formidable team moving forward.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a horned wolf wandering a strange desert. In a small pool of water, the wolf sees a montage of a girl undergoing a ceremony that causes barbed marks to appear on her skin. The wolf believes the girl is of interest.
Later, we meet the girl, now a woman named Azza. When a girl comes of age, they undergo the Obsidian Birthright to become a Holy Obsidian Warrior. In Azza’s case, the people believe she received barbed marks as a sign of wickedness inside her, and they cast her out. Now, Azza spends her days with the only duty she’s permitted, guarding a powerful demon trapped inside a magic crystal.
On the day of Azza’s sister’s ceremony, Azza decides to attend despite the animosity between her, her family, and her neighbors. We conclude the issue with sisterly bonding, an intruder, and life in a new light.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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AZZA THE BARBED #1 is an exceptionally strong start to a magical story about isolation caused by being different. The pacing, plot, and dialog are excellent, and the art suits the material well. As a bonus, the cliffhanger sets the stage for an impossible-to-guess outcome.
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