RISING SUN #1 is the first in a new series from IDW, launching this Wednesday. Dive into a world full of monsters, dragons, heroes, and conflict. This series starts off strong, full of brilliant artwork and internal conflicts.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Rising Sun #1 begins a new epic series from IDW. Set in Japan during the 12th century, this series follows several heroes from different clans. It may seem odd to see so many clans working together – and there’s no doubt that some would rather do anything but.
But there’s a greater danger on the horizon forcing their hands. Dragons and monsters have started rising up all over Japan. With the death toll steadily rising, our heroes are short on time for finding the cause and solution.
The Plot
Ron Marz and David Rodriguez wasted no time in throwing us into the action in Rising Sun #1. Right off the bat, we’re shown all of our heroes battling it out against a stunning (but undoubtedly fierce and dangerous) blue dragon.
From there it doesn’t take long for readers to get a solid understanding of the gravity of the situation. What at first appeared to be a fairly straight forward plot quickly proved to be complex and carefully thought out.
This is the danger of men and monsters. There’s plenty of interactions and strife between the characters, and it goes without saying that they’re all in grave danger. The monsters are iconic, jumping straight from legend. But the real question is; why now? Why are they attacking now, and what can be done to stop them?
This was a fast-paced read – the sort that you will quickly burn through before realizing you’ve run out of pages. Some of our characters have already made their personalities clear, while others leave us wondering where they’ll fall in the grand scheme of things.
The Art
There’s no doubt that the artwork in Rising Sun #1 stole the show. The pages are bright and dramatic, proving to be the perfect blend of traditional art and comic book style. Our characters are dynamic and distinct, while the creatures they face are gigantic in scale yet no less stunning.
Martin Coccolo was the lead artist for this project, with Katrina Mae Hao providing the colors and Deron Bennett doing the lettering. Together they made this world come alive. The line art set the scene, while the colors took this entire issue above and beyond. It made for a memorable introduction for a series, one that fans will eagerly return to.
In Conclusion
Rising Sun #1 was an intense and creative read. In many ways, it was the perfect blend of styles and subjects. The fast-paced introduction was enough to catch out interest, and hopefully, the following issues will lean on the mystery and suspense, while slowly feeding us more of the truth.
