Sovereign #1

By Chris Roberson & Paul Maybury

Seems like every week Image Comics rolls out a debut issue of a new series, and this week is no different. Sovereign is collaboration between writer and founder of Monkeybrain Comics, Chris Roberson and  the artist most recently known for his eye-catching work on the Amazing Grace storyline for Catalyst Comix, Paul Maybury. Together these two bring us an interesting start to Sovereign by showing us three different perspectives into this vast world they are building.

The first issue of Sovereign is a pretty interesting start to this series. We get a glimpse of three separate stories that all take place in the same fantasy world. The first story follows a small group of three warrior monks known as Luminari, who stumble onto a mysteriously large amount of corpses. The second tale follows the son of a “horse lord” who seems to want to avoid all reasonability and just live his life to his choosing, only to find responsibility might be thrust upon him. The final tale takes place on a sailing ship that seems to be under attack by a sea monster, but the crew discovers something peculiar about this monster. Chris Roberson is no stranger to either fantasy tales or world building, so this series seems like its right up his alley and personifies all of the things fans enjoy and have come to expect from his work. This first issue feels like you are just seeing the tip of this iceberg-sized story. There isn’t a lot revealed as far as the plot goes in this first issue of Sovereign but the characters and this vast world that are beginning to take shape is more than enough to keep readers interested and engaged.

Paul Maybury has always had a distinct art style that really pops off the page and is a perfect fit for a series like Sovereign. I have personally been a huge fan of Maybury’s since reading Aqua Leung then seeing him back doing the Amazing Grace storyline in Catalyst Comix was a pleasant surprise but now with him tackling all of the art for Sovereign was more than enough to make me intrigued to read this series. Following three different story lines taking place in one giant world is a huge opportunity for Maybury to show everything he is artistically capable of. Each story is diverse but still feels connected, while all of the characters have their own unique design to go with their various stories. Sovereign looks incredible so far and it’ll be exciting to see everything Maybury has to offer us readers as this series progresses.

Judging Sovereign on this first issue is a hard task. There is still plenty of details to be revealed about this luscious world and the main plot has yet to be revealed. After reading this issue of Sovereign, it leaves the reader wanting to know more because you feel the potential in each of the storylines. This truly does feel like it’s only the beginning to a much larger and expansive story. Only time will tell what stories will unfold on the pages of Sovereign, but I can say from my perspective they hooked at least one reader with this debut