Silversong is an high fantasy adventure comic following the tale of one girl with prophetic abilities as she blindly stumbles into a dangerous plot to tear down The Walled Kingdom.
Silversong by Sugar Fiend is another one of those comics that I have been reading before a review was requested. Like always, I’ll try to remain as unbiased as possible.
Story
Sugar Fiend has created a story that is based on the classic fantasy genre. There is magic, mythical races, and some powerful enemy that is set on destroying a kingdom. The benefit of such a well-known concept is that you can quickly create a world without needing to explain everything. It is much easier to just jump straight into the plot.
Just because something is a popular style already, doesn’t mean that Silversong has nothing to offer, though. There are certain aspects of the comic that Sugar Fiend creates that makes it stand out. One of these is how magic is portrayed. Magic is such a general concept and to help make your magic different from someone else’s you need to pay attention to the details. Who utilizes it? What does it look like? Is it a social norm?
In Silversong, magic is portrayed as “tainted,” making those who use it less than those without. People born with the use of magic face prejudices and have the stigma “Spellborn” spewed with hatred towards them. Sugar Fiend does a magnificent job incorporating information into her story by blending it with the plot. Not only is this accomplished by showing the attitudes towards magic, but also the history and the different races that reside in the Silversong world.
Even though information can be meticulously included into the plot with great care, there are some areas that I see some concerns. For example, although most characters are introduced very well, the main character could have used a bit more of an introduction. She felt like she was just thrown right into the plot and took off –without giving us much to think about her. The plot actually continues to move quickly to get to the real action. I’m certainly not against this. Sugar Fiend doesn’t seem to like to dawdle on the small things, jumping back and forth between multiple character stories.
Sugar Fiend also seems to have pulled her introduction straight out of a fairy tale. It’s lovely, but very Disney. The story continues to have that vibe throughout the chapters. Honestly, I’m not against this either. It kind of adds some nostalgia to the comic. Just make sure that it doesn’t cross the line from Sugar Fiend’s comic to, “Are you sure Disney doesn’t own this?”
Writing
The writing is actually pretty awesome. I don’t really have much to say here. There are little to no grammar errors, and I may have even missed a few since a lot of these are on purpose. There were some instances where the character’s accent (mainly Garfric) was almost too heavy and exaggerated that I had to read what they said twice to make sure I knew what I was reading.
Like I mentioned in the story section, Sugar Fiend knows how to weave information right into the plot and does it beautifully. The conversations flow nicely as well.
To tie in with the main character’s introduction I am a bit concerned with this lack of information we have on her. I’m sure it will all be revealed “in due time” but I don’t have the greatest bond with her at the moment. I’m more attached to the prince since we have more of a feel for his character. I’m not really convinced for her reasoning to go to the capital either -feels detached.
Art
I guess we’ll just move on to the art then. This is actually where Silversong really screams Disney. The art is gorgeous, the character designs are really elegant and beautiful, and the emotions pull at the heartstrings exactly how you would expect them to. In a way, the art is kind of predictable. But unlike a storyline, I’m pretty sure that’s not a bad thing.
One thing I’d say be careful with, is paying attention to the detailing in some distant or background characters. I understand that they aren’t supposed to draw the reader’s eye away from the focal point, but there is a line between background characters that are ignored, and those that are noticed again because the artwork just differs too much from the rest. Making sure that the figure’s form is still accurate may help this (even in its most basic form).
To tie in with the previous point, sometimes there is impeccable detailing in scenes and other times the art looks rushed. There could be a number of reasons as to why this occurs, and I’m not going to make any assumptions. Just try to keep as consistent as possible with art style when and where you can.
The backgrounds usually receive this fabulous detailing, and the results are gorgeous. Sugar Fiend doesn’t seem to like skipping details here, and her time and effort are clearly shown through the amazing scenes she creates.
Another area where detailing is painstakingly cared for is in the paneling. Sugar Fiend steps away from your standard square or rectangular panel designs, and opts for a more ‘magical’ depiction. They are fabulous and really accentuate the storyline.
Sugar Fiend’s brilliance doesn’t end with her paneling. She takes it one step further and drags the reader deeper into the story by dulling the colours of the comic during emotional scenes. I’ve seen this a few times in comics (and other media platforms) and I have always adored when the senses are manipulated. The more you directly impact the reading experience, the more likely the reader will become emotionally attached to a story. It sucks you right into the plot.
Conclusion
Overall, I think Silversong is a great addition to add to the long list of comics you may already be reading. It isn’t too far along in the plot just yet (two chapters), so you should have no problem catching up. It’s a great story that seems to be fairly family friendly (on Disney standards).
If you want to check Silversong by Sugar Fiend out, you can read it here.
WintreKitty Reviews and Contests 