Magic and mystery, a part of their…wait…that’s…something else. Yet, it still applies! This week, I am reviewing Ava’s Demon Book 1: Reborn. A fun, and dark, adventure that I think many of you will enjoy.

 

This volume does discuss, and depict, suicide and suicide attempts. If this type of material is disturbing to you, or difficult to handle, you may want to consider something else. While I feel that the volume handles this subject adequately, I did find it odd that there was no trigger warning to be found within the issue, particularly with the more playful art style and color palate found on the cover and a brief skim of the pages. 

 

 

To aid in the fight, Ava must first assemble Wrathia’s most trusted warriors along with their host lifeforms. The only problem is, she doesn’t know how to find them.  

 

Renowned author Michelle Fus presents their groundbreaking young adult (YA) webcomic Ava’s Demon in graphic novel format for the very first time. 

 

Written by Michelle Fus

Art by Michelle Fus

Color by Arsha, Foch Flos, Minh Ma, Nava, Nicole Sands, and Rachel Tibbs  

 

Ava is a lonely young girl attending school (and to her literal demon) on a far-off planet. When her school is attacked by the Silent Scavengers, and she hitches a ride with a mysterious young man that seems to be kidnapping her former friend, Maggie. Their adventure crash lands them on a planet where they meet Gil, who is hoping to become a doctor in the army of a being called Titan. As these characters try to take their next steps, destiny and other forces seemingly intervene. 

 

Adapted from an original web-comic, Ava’s Demon Book 1: Reborn brings us 5 chapters to enjoy. I will admit that the tone of the writing, in comparison with the art style, threw me off a little at first. This story does not shy away from dark themes, and that comes at you fast. I did find that as I read, these two things (which I thought would conflict with each other) came together in an interesting way and really played well off of each other. In some ways, the darker tone of the narrative is strengthened and highlighted by the bright colors and wide-eyed characters. It was wonderful to see that the art and use of color evolve as the chapters go on. Each characters color palate is reflective of their character, and is used well to highlight moments of power, as well as more emotional moments. Glow effects are used often, and well, to create a vibrant world that I found beautiful to look at. My only complaint as far as the art goes is that we spend quite a bit of time with the Titan faction, and dull shades of blue are utilized A LOT. However, that being said, it should be mentioned that this also lended itself well to the “corporatization” that seems to be a large part of the narrative surrounding Titan and his followers. The quality of the writing develops and improves quickly, and characters that seem one-dimensional upon first meeting are fleshed out well as the story progresses. I have to say that by the end of this volume, I’m not sure I’m rooting for Ava…and that is not a bad thing. Ava is a character with a difficult past, and as she finds out more about Wrathia, the “demon” inside her, we discover good reason to feel conflicted with her character. Ava could be compared to Naruto, but while Naruto was mischievous with an inherent goodness, Ava is lost and unsure of what she wants beyond immediate solutions to her immediate problems. Ava is a protagonist that is just as likely to become an antagonist, and with good reason. I found her story more interesting to read because she wasn’t a character prevailing due to the power of friendship. Quite to the contrary, Ava’s road will be all the more interesting because she has no one to draw that power from (and she isn’t all that concerned with it). Ava’s fear and confusion will be what drives this story forward, and in many ways, make her journey more relatable than those of a lovable ramen-eating scamp.

 

Overall, Ava’s Demon Book One: Reborn was an enjoyable volume that sets the stage for a very interesting adventure. Maybe break out some shades to enjoy the vibrant and colorful panels if you have sensitive eyes.

ComicsOnline gives Ava’s Demon Book One: Reborn 3.5 out of 5 angsty demons!