Convoluted plot
3 steloj
Vizilsan: Blue Rabbit's Crystal caught my attention because of the Donnie Darko style rabbit on the front cover. When I then learnt that the author, Marko Markovic, is Serbian I decided to give this graphic novel a read. It is a multi-species fantasy story with a Quest to find a mythical gem that can somehow control energy throughout the world. I think, anyway. To be honest, I did struggle to keep the storyline straight in my mind. There are flashbacks to Historical Times and, for a non-fantasy reader like me, the present day looked fairly historical too. I think readers who are more used to weirdly-named fantasy characters and species would stand a better chance of keeping up with Markovic's convoluted plot, however I am glad I gave this a try because I absolutely loved the artwork. Scenes of towns and cities are particularly stunning because of their detail. Also, …
Vizilsan: Blue Rabbit's Crystal caught my attention because of the Donnie Darko style rabbit on the front cover. When I then learnt that the author, Marko Markovic, is Serbian I decided to give this graphic novel a read. It is a multi-species fantasy story with a Quest to find a mythical gem that can somehow control energy throughout the world. I think, anyway. To be honest, I did struggle to keep the storyline straight in my mind. There are flashbacks to Historical Times and, for a non-fantasy reader like me, the present day looked fairly historical too. I think readers who are more used to weirdly-named fantasy characters and species would stand a better chance of keeping up with Markovic's convoluted plot, however I am glad I gave this a try because I absolutely loved the artwork. Scenes of towns and cities are particularly stunning because of their detail. Also, I felt the images really flowed from one to another. A lot of the story is set at sea or on boats, or in journeying of one kind or another so for this movement to the reflected in the artwork was very effective.
On the downside, I was irritated that the lead (and almost the only) female character was never allowed sufficient time to get dressed properly. Even when all the males were swathed in cosy hoods and cloaks, she was still standing around in her underwear. I suspect hypothermia was the real reason she was so easily overpowered at a potentially critical moment! Also a negative for me was that, as the first in a series, Vizilsan abruptly stops on a bit of a cliff hanger. You might already know that I hate non-endings! If I'd known this graphic novel would leave me stranded mid-story, I probably wouldn't have started it. As it is I am not sure I liked the first installment enough to risk embarking further into what could become a lengthy epic.