Review - Dragonstorm #1

There's something to be said about a good old fashioned destiny. It's got this profound ability to find you regardless of you're attempting to hide from it. Destiny always wins and sometimes with great costs, as in Dragonstorm #1 from Unstoppable Comics.

Dragonstorm #1 is created and written by Jaydee Rosario, with art by Jose Cotejar and Craig Shepard (cover by Pat O'Donnell), inks by Alex Rivera and colors by Michael Summers.

The first issue pulls up a chair at the table of destiny for Lyllian, a teenage girl who, instead of coming into some money from her grandfather, comes into the news that she's been chosen for something far greater than spending Friday night at the mall. David and Alice have been raising her to be a normal girl, but when David's father comes to collect the parents are faced with losing her to destiny.

Lyllian is brought before a group of ninjas where she encounters Dragonstorm, one of the greatest warriors who also happens to be great enemies with Lylliana's lineage. The two make for strange company, but Dragonstorm is coerced into training Lylliana to be the destiny she's supposed to be.

The first issue of the series is more or less an origin story, showing Lylliana being ripped from the comfort of her life and thrust into a grand unknown. Rosario has infused the character with the same reluctance to accept her role as Bruce Wayne, only without the thirst for vengeance. Instead, she just wants to know what's going on.

Lylliana is looking for help but, as expected, is uneasy trusting Dragonstorm, a warrior with powers that exceed her imagination. Rosario has created a dynamic where the real hero doesn't choose to help his enemy, but instead helps her out of morality.

There are a lot of questions surrounding Lylliana and her destiny; questions which will most likely be answered as the series unfolds. After the first issue though the reader is left a little in the dark as to what is really so great about her and her destiny, so there's not really a sense of foreboding or anything just yet.

There are two main artists on the first issue. Cotejar did the first nine pages while Shepard did the rest of the issue. The similarities between the two are pretty seamless and Shepard will be the ongoing series artist. Shepard's art does look cleaner than Cotejar's and, overall, this is very much a superhero inspired book.

The explosion of the indie scene in comics has lead to a lot of comics that don't follow the traditional superhero fare, but that doesn't mean they're not out there. Dragonstorm #1 is an interesting start to the ongoing series that should capitalize on the dynamic between Lylliana and Dragonstorm. Learning more about her destiny and the challenges she will face to test that ability will be intriguing.

Dragonstorm #1 will be available at Boston Comic Con. Find out more about the series on Facebook and Twitter.