FAIRLADY #1
Writer: Brian Schirmer
Artist : Claudia Balboni
Colorist: Marissa Louise
Letterer: David Bowman
Publisher: Image Comics
8/10
When this book was first announced, I knew I had to check it out. I love the premise of a girl masquerading as a man to fight in a war and what she does once the war ends, all set in a fantasy world. The fantasy genre isn't given as much love in the comic book medium as it should, in my opinion. This book is definitely something that has been missing for me on my pull list.
Our lead character Jenner Faulds, is far from a "Fairlady". Jenner is a tough as nails, private investigator that was tasked with overseeing security at a wizards tower at the conclusion of the war. When we first meet her she has been et on course to find a missing girl, Samanda, that owes more the one person money. The entire first issue take us around the world of The Feld, the main city of the story. One of the double page spreads where we see Jenner canvassing the room, was nicely used to show how she was pointing out all of the evidence she was gonna use to find this missing girl. I think my favorite character so far was Jenner's partner, Oanu, a giant cat like humanoid. I can't explain it but the chemistry between these two, might just be the best part of the story. Eventually they find the missing girl, but there is clearly something else going on. This was a fantastic first issue and definitely has me eager to read more.
The art on this book was phenomenal. Claudia Balboni's art is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. I don't know where she's been hiding or why I haven't heard about her up until this point, but I couldn't be happier that I discovered her work. She's built a beautiful world with breathtaking backdrops, and unique and interesting characters. I love that she put the main city in the remains of what looks like a giant robot. Each page had me pouring over every little detail. Coupled with the out of this world colors of Marissa Louise, this has to be one of the best art teams in comics right now.
This book was a strong debut from a fantastic creative team. I'm ashamed to say that up until this book, I wasn't familiar with them or their previous work. Well you can bet I won't forget who they are now. FAIRLADY is a must read and highly recommended. Any fans of "Lord of the Rings", BIRTHRIGHT, and SAGA will love this. So please go out and buy this book so we can enjoy this series for years to come.