Booknote: Jinnrise, Vol.1

Sohaib Awan, Jinnrise, Vol. 1. San Diego, CA: IDW, 2013.

I recently read this, and I have to say it was good from start to finish. This comic combines a bit of the Arabian Nights with a bit of adventure similar to Stargate (the film). The story starts in a small Middle Eastern village that suddenly experiences an alien invasion. The aliens, clearly accustomed to victory after victory, did not count on one small detail: a young boy who has a bottle with jinn in it.

The pace of the comic is fast and engaging. Once I started it, I zipped right through it. This is a volume mostly to set up a longer story, but it does reveal some depth already as we begin to learn more about the aliens and where they have been as well as about the jinn's people. The only fault in the book is that it was too short. I will certainly look for the next one in the series.

By the way, the art on this is excellent. Panels that depict the action generously and great use of color are good reasons to read this comic. Such elements enhance the story. This comic is a good example of the good works coming out of comics publishers other than the "Big Two." This is definitely why I enjoy discovering new titles from other publishers. IDW has put out something good here, and I think readers will enjoy it. I do hope the series gets better as it moves on.

I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Link to Jinnrise website: http://www.jinnrise.com/

Link to IDW press release about the series: http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/2372/


The Disclosure Note: This is where I tell you, in order to keep The Man happy, that I read this via an e-book from NetGalley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest book review.