Comic Book Review: Maestros #1
The realm of magic has had a long hold on our collective imaginations for generations. We all can point to such works as Tolkien’s Hobbit stories or Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara series as gateways to other worlds. Worlds that unlike ours is full of both fantastic creatures and fantastic adventures. The need for the mind to seek this out comes from a place deep inside. It is a place that plays to our instinct to explore the unknown. A paradox if you think about it. We both fear and seek out the unknown. Steve Skroce pulls at these feelings in his latest work Maestros. A story that touches heavily in fantasy with a hint of science fiction. It is definitely for mature readers.
Steve Skroce is both the writer and artist for Maestros #1. In this story, he crafts a world that is not only magical but fantastic and he does it in just the first few panels. Steve thrusts us right into the world in such a way that you feel the pace of the story. The high end pace gives the book a chaotic feel. It also maintains plenty of mystery. This is great because it allows us to want to move forward to discover more.
One of the unique aspects of Skroce’s Maestro is his exploration of adult themes such as sex and drugs which aren’t heavily touched on in other works of fantasy. In this story, they are both tackled and examined through the lens of fantasy without a lot of subtly. This allows the story to relay motivations that we normally see every day. For example, what motivates our main protagonist is a desire most of us share. The desire to be free of financial restraints. This is right in our face when we first meet him and how he’s introduced with his use of magic. He’s not afraid to use his magical talents for certain types of procedures in order to get paid.
One thing I would have like to have seen is a bit more character development of the main cast. I fully expect to see this in later issues, I still would have like to have seen it used more in this story. For example, both Margaret and Willy ‘s characters have some basic motivations we all share: survival and prosperity. But as you read through the issue its becomes clear that we need a bit more meat about why they’re living as they are. A flashback provided a bit of a glimpse into this, but not enough in my opinion.
The art style employed by Steve Skroce is graphic, realistic, and full of action. Taking a peek at his previous works, such as Spider-Man and his story boards for the Matrix films, it’s very understandable how he is easily able to incorporate the realism and action without over doing it.
For many comics, they fail at this by over loading our eyes with a lot of unnecessary details with character and creature movement. In Maestros, this isn’t the case. Each panel is clean, yet full enough without being overbearing.
Dave Stewart provides masterful colors on Maestros. There is a reason why he’s an Eisner Award-winning colorist. Dave uses his colors to pick up where Steve Skroce left off with the art. His colors aren’t too bright, but are rich in how they bring out the detail of the art.
The Verdict
Maestros #1 is more than just fantasy, sci-fi, or even a story. It’s a fun journey into a whole new world of magic and chaos. If you’re a fantasy fanatic than you should definitely pick this up; it’s definitely geared towards fantasy fans. The issue is a great beginning for Maestros; however, I do hope that there is more character development as the series moves forward.
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