BIRTHRIGHT #1 Review

Is this yet another winner from Image and Joshua Williamson? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

For the Rhodes family, losing their son was the most devastating thing that could’ve ever occurred… but it couldn’t prepare them for what happened when he returned. Skybound’s newest original series turns fantasy into reality in this EXTRA-SIZED FIRST ISSUE for just $2.99, by creator/writer JOSH WILLIAMSON (GHOSTED, NAILBITER) and artist ANDREI BRESSAN.

Feeling very much like the tale of Peter Pan in reverse, whilst also having a Big crossed with Conan vibe, Birthright proves to be an amazing series for fans of fantasy, with the mysterious factors adding that extra layer of intrigue. As for an opening issue, it also manages to set-up a wonderful premise, with the mixture of drama and fantasy allowing for something genuinely unique.

Joshua Williamson just keeps producing one amazing creator owned series after another, as following in the footsteps of both Ghosted and Nailbiter, Birthright proves to be an amazing read. Having already been intrigued by the preview pages that have been circulating the internet it was nice to get something so much deeper, with the character emotion and general mystery being gripping throughout. It was however the twist halfway through that gave the reality check that this is a series worth following, as though the narration is a little slow at time, the twist itself brings something extremely enthralling, with the final page just enhancing this tenfold.

Williamson has worked with some amazing artists over the various series he works with, with each one being perfectly suited to the genre of the series they’re attached to. This proves no different here, with Andrei Bressan‘s art being wonderful throughout. Straight off the bat, the layouts and detail of this artist catches the eye, with the emotional character expressions capturing the severity of the events. It isn’t however until we enter the fantasy world of Birthright that Bressan start to really show his worth, with the beautiful scenery and phenomenal creature design being truly awe inspiring. Colour artists Adriano Luca also adds that extra layer of awesomeness, with his palette giving a lively tone to this fantasy world.

Birthright has blown my expectations right out of the water, with the mixture of fantasy and mystery being a real winner. Being extremely gripping, and utterly enthralling the creators manage to give an opening issue that showcases the vastness of this world, whilst also getting across the depth of the story itself. Highly recommended.