BLADE FORGER #1, by Mad Cave Studios on 3/5/25, imagines a world where Blade Forgers compete every five years to become Emperor and control the world’s most precious energy source, Corum.
Credits:
- Writer: Inaki Miranda, Roy Miranda
- Artist: Inaki Miranda
- Colorist: Eva De La Cruz
- Letterer: Dave Sharpe
- Cover Artist: Inaki Miranda (cover A)
- Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
- Release Date: March 5, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of BLADE FORGER #1:
Plot Analysis:
Blade Forgers #1 begins with a lengthy prologue explaining the world’s most powerful energy source, Corum, is under constant threat by warring nations who want to control it. After countless wars, the collective leaders formed a truce wherein an Emperor would be nominated through ritual combat to control the Corum and keep the peace. Combatants are called Blade Forgers, and this story begins with Owada, the young swordsman destined to become Emperor and bring prosperity back to the people after one hundred years of oppression and corruption.
Once Owada reaches adulthood and begins competing in qualifying in tournaments, he bests his competition with ease. When the big day arrives, Owada succeeds in becoming Emperor.
Forty years later, the reign of Owada and his unbeatable sword have not brought about the prosperity he hoped for. Civil unrest grows, Owada’s advisors grow more bold and treacherous, and Owada’s age is finally catching up to him. When Owada consults a witch with the gift of prophecy, it tells him that he will lose his next fight, but the hope Owada promised in his youth may yet be fulfilled.
The issue ends with the meaning of a closed fist and the future saved by a new generation.
First Impressions:
Blade Forger #1 is the type of story that has too much and not enough at the same time. The Miranda brothers invent a fascinating concept to create a fantasy tale that mixes styles, eras, and genres in one go, but you’ll find yourself suffering from dissonance overload.
Artwork and Presentation:
Inaki Miranda’s artwork is super solid. If you’re familiar with Miranda’s work, this shouldn’t surprise you in the least. Miranda uses a plethora of ideas to create visually engaging character designs and costumes, an eclectic world that mixes the ancient, the new, and the futuristic, and interesting compositions.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
The highlight of Blade Forgers #1 is the imaginative idea about a world in desperate need of energy and the ever-five-year tournament to select the Emperor who controls it. There are so many facets to this story that you could create volumes of tales to last for years.
The Negatives:
It’s too much. Blade Forgers #1 has too much going on and not enough to explain the ins and outs that matter. What is Corum? Is it a mineral, a gas, or a liquid? Where does it come from, and how is it distributed to prevent wars from breaking out? If Corum is in such short supply, why is the main character using a plane to travel from town to town, wasting precious energy? How is the current Emperor oppressive or corrupt? What will Owada do differently?
The preceding paragraph could go on for much longer, but you get the idea. In effect, the Miranda brothers try to compress a sprawling fantasy story into a standard-length comic, but it’s too big. Consequently, too many important bits get shortcut or are left unexplained.
Honestly, to give this story justice, it needs to be a novel, not a comic.
Final Thoughts:
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BLADE FORGER #1 drops readers into a sprawling fantasy world where a tournament decides the new emperor and the fate of the world every five years. The Miranda brothers craft an eclectically creative world around a central idea with tons of possibilities, and Inaki Miranda’s artwork is fantastic. That said, the first issue suffers from too much story in too few pages, so this is a case of a tale that would have been better off in novel form.
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