AL15 Vol 1 & 2, Review
Reading time: 2 minutes
Markosia, over the past few years, has released some cracking comics. So when creator Steve De La Mare asked if I wanted to take a look at two books described as hybrid graphic novels, how could I say no? AL15 - part comic, part art book, part prose. This is certainly something different from what I usually see. AL15 'The Adventure Begins' and 'Broken Dreams' provide something unique, and if you're a sci-fi fan, then these could be the books for you.
AL15, Andromeda Lewis 15th Generation, is a cropper from a farming moon who's looking for adventure. It all goes a bit wrong, though, as she crashes into Miror Terram, another planet in her solar system. This results in a fight for survival as she tries to return home. Volume Two sees AL15 still trying to find her way home but finds herself on Somnium Terram (Dream Land) instead of her homeworld of Viridi Terram. Captured and thrown into an augmented reality guarded by AI and Dragons, she's left with limited time to escape before her real world caves in.
As usual, we will start with the art. What De La Mare has created can only be described as a work of art. There are some incredible visuals throughout. Describing it as a hybrid graphic novel is pretty accurate. Panels come and go, with characters at times moving fluidly around the page. And the colouring is vibrant, helping to create some stunning imagery. This is taken up a notch in 'Broken Dreams' with a story that allows for a bit more vibrancy. Sci-fi and fantasy tropes are leaned into heavily to create some wonderful designs where nothing feels out of place. Even the character designs are not so outrageous that you wonder how anything evolved like that.
As for the story, it's a heartfelt one with the main character that wants to inspire everyone she meets to be as hopeful as she is. It creates a captivating read. New characters are introduced throughout, with some returning in 'Broken Dreams', and they are fun and work well within the story. None of them feels shoehorned in. Some provide nice comedy moments, and others ground the characters to keep a human touch to a pretty wild story. What we end up with is some sci-fi ridiculousness with endearing characters that you feel were a joy to write and draw. It all makes comes together for an exciting sci-fi romp.
It's always interesting reading books back to back and seeing subtle changes, as things seem to flow slightly better in volume two. The addition of Cassiopeia, AL15's mum and the Dream Land allows for some nice transitions between panels and characters that are clever, walking through two scenes at once, and make for a nice difference from volume one to set it apart further. There's a lot to like about the series so far, and the hybrid nature of it offers something different. I can't wait to see what happens in volume three and enjoy something new in this universe that De La Mare has created.
Rating: 4/5
Steve De La Mare (w + a) - Markosia
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