Review: The Gunn Queen Volume 1: Interloper
If you're interested in a comic that takes one of the saddest moments in someone's life and incorporates everything they love in life and culture to create a story that embodies the best parts of Scottish culture, then The Gunn Queen: Interloper could be what you're after. Richard Mooney, combined with Chilien artist Yanko Super, creates a fantasy tale in which the women in his life are the basis of the story.
Set in the sprawling and awe-inspiring realm of Higher Alba, this epic tale follows our heroes as they engage in bloody combat against a powerful and unknown enemy. Join Margo Gunn, the queen of Higher Alba, and a mysterious warrior as they battle against a formidable beast. Margo is mentored by her very own Obi-Wan Kenobi, Nana, who embodies the best parts of Richard's own Nana. In this story, we meet Margo at the beginning of her journey to become the 'Gunn Queen' in a tale that takes inspiration from Scottish and Celtic folklore.
Yanko Super's artwork is truly stunning, showcasing a fearless use of vibrant colours that bring the panels to life. The bold colour choices make certain panels absolutely mesmerizing. This is the kind of story where Yanko can create all kinds of wonderous beings, and you can tell he thrives on it, especially when it comes to Margo's action scenes. It's an art style that is well-suited for an all-ages comic, appealing to a wide range of readers. There is some real graphic violence, though, and Yanko does a superb job of showing it within action scenes.
The writing by Richard Mooney takes on a different meaning when you realise how much influence his grandmother had on this story. It really is lovely. There's a fair bit of local slang used, which adds to the Celtic feel of the story, and even if you don't understand the odd word, it won't take you out of the story as you can infer the meaning.
It's a solid start, but it definitely needs some extra world-building. You're thrown in the deep end without much of a build-up, which would have been quite nice to have fleshed out before getting into all the nonstop action. But there is still a lot planned, so hopefully, there'll be a slow-down period where we can get to know this world a bit more, get to know Margo a bit more, and what the story is building towards. This is clearly a world full of incredible things, where a bit more exposition would be welcome.
Overall, The Gunn Queen: Interloper is a promising start to what could become a compelling long-running fantasy series, which I'm excited to see grow. While the initial issue throws readers straight into action, the vibrant art and cultural references make it an engaging read, with plenty still to come. With its potential for growth, The Gunn Queen is definitely worth keeping an eye on for fans of fantasy comics. You can purchase a copy yourself via the thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk website.
Rating: 3.5/5
