Michael Turner’s Soulfire Annual #1 Review

Do fans of the franchise need to have this in their collection? Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

Aspen’s first ever SOULFIRE ANNUAL arrives, jam-packed with three all new stories featuring some of the most popular characters in the SOULFIRE universe—and more! Join veteran SOULFIRE writer JT Krul as he presents a young Grace in a world long forgotten, full or dragons and danger! Fan favorite illustrator Agnes Garbowska debuts a new SOULFIRE story all her own, as she handles the writing and art duties in a special tale featuring Grace and several other SOULFIRE favorites! And BubbleGun creator Mark Roslan explodes onto the scene with a futuristic bank robbery that even the magic of Malakai may not be able to stop!

In my time with Unleash The Fanboy I’ve always admitted the fact that I have never had an affinity for releases like this. I always thought that if there were storeis that needed to be told they could be spun into the ongoing narrative of the already existing title. That said, I have to say, there are some properties that warrant further exposition and this is one of those specific titles.

There’s no doubt that the scripts found here benefit from several authors with a clear range of worth and talent. “The Weight of Magic” is brought to life with a human spin courtesy of the always engaging Mark Roslan. “What the Dragon?” glides with child like wonderment thanks to Agnes Garbowska. “Friendly Fire” earns its spot with a journey to the past that relates to the future via the words of J.T. Krul. And finally the package is complete with a reprint that carried Michael Turner and Jeph Loeb at the helm.

The illustrations are just as varied as the written word thanks to the works of Lori “Cross” Hanson, Agnes Garbowska, Giuseppe Cafaro and Michael Turner. Each page is expressed in detail that vibes with the already established lore of this fantastical realm. Magic explodes from the panels in a brilliant crescendo of pencil strokes that never, for a moment, comes off lacking. In short: I was absorbed by the spark of creativity contained within these striking pages.

Michael Turner’s Soulfire Annual #1 is a complete package that’s bound to reward the dedicated followers of this franchise. It’s not entirely necessary but there’s no doubt that this exists as quality material. Highly recommended.