“Yesterday’s” Comic> Tales Of Legend #1

Oh right, Black Friday is coming faster than we think.

Tales Of Legend #1

AAM Markosia (there is no indicia in the version I have, but it was uploaded to Drive Thru Comics in June of 2023)

WRITER: Steven LeBlanc

ARTIST: Eric Michael Ella

After Maria’s father died and her mom took ill, her uncle was supposed to help run the farm that she’s been working on her own since mom got sick. When she passes away, he takes over the farm, more interested in profit than anything else. One night he accidentally starts a fire that burns the barn down, with only the animals getting out alive (not due to anything he did) while he’s killed by a falling beam. The house is also burnt out, but mostly standing. Without much time to mourn, Maria finds a strange box with a bracelet inside. Putting it on sends her to the magical tech world of Amerschmith, where she’s befriended by a two-headed robot named Rusty. He brings her to the robot maker Baker and his assistant Market. They give her a job helping around the robot shop, and she also meets, for lack of a better term, a cyborg named Isaac. Another customer learns how she got here, and the bracelet, and that the symbol on the box matches the one on the town fountain, a family crest of the rich girl Lady Petrovsky. Believing this to be a tie to her family secrets, she orders her men to bring Maria to her.

What they got right: I love the anime-inspired art. The art from Markosia is hit and miss, but this may be some of their best artwork. I like the designs of Isaac’s arm and Rusty’s design. It’s not steampunk but it’s not your typical sci-fi robot. This is more of a fantasy series after all, but outside of Maria’s bracelet I’m not seeing a lot of magic. It makes for a different kind of fantasy setting, perhaps more of the Japanese inspired storytelling in a European style fantasy world.

What they got wrong: Why is the kid named Market? Even the robot has a better name than “Store”. Also, she loses her beloved horse because she gets transported without him. What the animals going to do with nobody to take care of them or the farm? At least bring the horse somehow. Poor horsey. That only matters because they showcase a bond between Maria and her horse. She’s even trying to find him food when she finds the bracelet.

What I think overall: This was a fascinating first issue. It might be worth checking into again in the future if I’m able, if only to see more of  the world of Amerschmith.