Compass Vol. 1 is published by Image Comics, written by Robert MacKenzie and Dave Walker and illustrated by Justin Greenwood.
Print copies are available now directly from Image Comics or from your local comic book store. Digital copies will be available to download from the usual content providers. Vol. 1 collects issues #1-5.
Synopsis
Shahidah El-Amin is many things: scholar, cartographer, astronomer, mathematician, scientist, explorer, adventurer, and—when need be—two-fisted fighter. Setting out from Baghdad’s legendary House of Wisdom during the Islamic Golden Age, Shahi’s quest brings her to 13th-century Britain…where the Welsh are whispered to possess the secret of eternal life. But Shahi’s not the only one after it…
Review
If you like your comics with less action and more adventure then this new story arc from Image Comics is one for you. Straight away Compass gives me a bit of a Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) kind of feel with the main character being Shahidah El-Amin a very strong adventurous woman, the overall story has more of a religious mythical feel to it. On the hunt for the answer to eternal life Shahidah embarks on an epic journey that see her leave the familiar surroundings of Baghdad behind and head for British shores on a path less travelled.
The journey sees Shahidah meet with religious figures suspicious of her intentions, unaware of if she is a common thief or if she is there for merely educational benefit to find out about the myth behind eternal life, she must prove herself through various challenges or rituals and show the figures the reasons she needs these answers, but like anything else Shahidah isn’t the only person who is after the answer and their intentions may not be as straight forward.
As the theme of the story wasn’t really my normal go to genre I did find the story a bit slow to get started and took a while for me to get going, I would definitely say that this is more of a slow burner when it comes to the story as I felt the arc became more into its own as the issues progressed but I would say you would need to have the slower parts of the story to explain the latter parts adding more depth to the story as a whole.
I haven’t yet come across the workings of Robert MacKenzie and Dave Walker but from what I’ve seen here both know how to create a full-bodied story, the foundations were laid perfectly at the beginning to allow the arc to grow as it progressed.
The illustrations from Justin Greenwood really captures the overall feel of the story and the intentions of the writers making the story arc more three-dimensional and allowing the imagination to take over and expand the world the story is based.
Verdict
Overall after a slow start I thought that Compass was an enjoyable read, completely different from normal comic reads but one that is well worth taking a look at.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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