This comic has a very manga feel to it with the art and the limited use of colors through out it. Now that’s not a bad thing as its nice to occasionally read a comic that’s got a manga feeling to it. One of the earliest lessons to be learned in this is that some things should just be left alone. What might be good on paper won’t necessarily be good in practice. Such as uniting a bunch of different teachings and the like. Now all this might not be such a bad thing to deal with if you didn’t have a different bunch stirring about and potentially causing some serious problems. Thanks a lot fellas of the 9th region! One of the interesting things about this volume is the extras Chester Jones III put into this.
Such as the app that comes with not only the story, but creator interviews, artist sketches, videos, character breakdowns, and much more. Now I was not able to view this app while checking out True Masters so I can’t say too much about it, but it does sound pretty darn nifty with all that awesome content!
Now while you have this whole wanting to unite the different teachings into one thing and the 9th region doing what they are doing, you got those wanting change and being annoyed with young Sumanji for being a supposed traitor to his people. Like Northstar who’s certainly a bit on the hotheaded side which will likely get him killed after what he does at the end of this volume. Young Leo Sumanji is also stuck with those wanting to push destiny on him like his ailing father and the lovely Feather. A part of me can see why he would want to go elsewhere and be around others who aren’t all concerned about destiny this and destiny that. Which makes me wonder if he’s going to tell a few people off for it at some point if he hasn’t already prior to the events of what we’re seeing here.
Feather laying a guilt trip on him for what could possibly happen certainly isn’t a great thing to do either and I have no doubt that would breed further resentment in our main guy. Especially when he already has disagreements about his old man’s views. And then you have Wayne Lisu, the Elephant God who’s looking to take over pretty much everything thanks to a desire for power and the like. To me, he seems like a stereotypical bad-ish kind of guy and one I don’t really trust. Especially where old man Sumanji is concerned after seeing their interactions together. He just seems slimy and likely has more than one agenda in mind that he hasn’t revealed just yet.
I have to admit though that while the art is pretty nice and the story itself is pretty good, it didn’t exactly wow me. But it is liable to do so for others and despite it not wowing me, I am curious to see what happens next. Especially where ol’ hothead Northstar is concerned.
Editor’s Note: If you’d like to check out what all the app has to offer, head here! And if you’d like to read the comic without the app itself, head here!
The True Masters Chronicles Volume 1: Light Vs. Shadow
The Dream Factory Productions, LLC
Story by: Chester Jones III
Illustrations by: Maike Wender
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: Unrest rules the eight-region Trysho domain. The unrecognized ninth region in this vast subsystem, appropriately named “The Dark Region,” has waged a war against their privileged counterparts, forcefully taking over each territory, one by one. When Leo Sumanji, decorated military general in the Lord of the land’s army, returns home to tend to his ailing father, Sitowata, leader of “The Dark Region”, stops at nothing to eliminate his former friend and comrade.
