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A review by freemajo
Prism Stalker, Vol. 1 by Sloane Leong
3.0
Prism Stalker, at its core, is a story about colonization and identification. Vep is a refugee who lives on (in?) a sentient planet which her people care for in return for shelter. She is taken by a foreigner and forcibly enrolled in an academy. Graduates of the academy enforce colonization upon the planet and repel indigenous forces. Vep sees the academy and the expanse of the planet ripe for colonization as a way to provide a space for her tribe stuck on (in???) the sentient planet she knows best as home.
During her time at the academy, she encounters other members of her species who did not flee for the refugee planet. Because Vep has never learned her native tongue or rituals, her overtures toward these women are rebuffed angrily. These two short encounters are the most interesting in Prism Stalker as they raise questions of identity and belonging.
Overall, the art style is not great, and it's frequently difficult to tell Vep apart from other characters of her species because they're not drawn very precisely--their bone structure and features change slightly between panels on occasion (and not on purpose). It doesn't feel polished, and the impression is of a rough draft rather than final product.
The story is meager and rather boring. The collection can be summed up easily as "Vep struggles but in the end might be okay." The bonus content at the end was helpful because it explained the author's inspiration as a Hawaiian and Native American, which is the most interesting theme (colonization and identity) throughout Prism Stalker. I just wish this had been more of a focus than it was.
During her time at the academy, she encounters other members of her species who did not flee for the refugee planet. Because Vep has never learned her native tongue or rituals, her overtures toward these women are rebuffed angrily. These two short encounters are the most interesting in Prism Stalker as they raise questions of identity and belonging.
Overall, the art style is not great, and it's frequently difficult to tell Vep apart from other characters of her species because they're not drawn very precisely--their bone structure and features change slightly between panels on occasion (and not on purpose). It doesn't feel polished, and the impression is of a rough draft rather than final product.
The story is meager and rather boring. The collection can be summed up easily as "Vep struggles but in the end might be okay." The bonus content at the end was helpful because it explained the author's inspiration as a Hawaiian and Native American, which is the most interesting theme (colonization and identity) throughout Prism Stalker. I just wish this had been more of a focus than it was.