“Nine-year-old royal orphan Zakaiah falls heir to the throne of the broken post-apocalyptic kingdom of Pacifica, and must endure the Trials of the House of Jasser, a series of tests designed to prepare her to occupy the seat of the kingdom. Recently orphaned and reluctant to embark on a set of trials to teach and test her on the responsibilities that now rest on her shoulders, she is guided on this tumultuous path by soldiers and strangers, plagued by their own struggles, pasts and hidden agendas. Embarking on the journey on a dark road with strangers who now answer to her and inexperienced in carrying the weight of the world, she’s left the only home she’s ever known to explore the realm she now has the responsibility to rule. Behind them, the empty throne is at the mercy of a ruling class that threatens to usurp it for their own dark agendas, and just beyond the shadows ahead, the emergence of an ancient evil threatens to halt their journey dead in its tracks.“

Written by Don Aguillo

Art by Don Aguillo

Published by Scout Comics

Don Aguillo emailed me with the first 5 issues of Rise, and the premise sounded right up my alley.

I’m so glad I got to read these first five issues back to back. This is such an enthralling story, and I absolutely adore Zakaiah. But all of the characters are interesting and unique, and their designs are incredible.

The art is absolutely breathtaking in Rise. It’s so beautiful and cinematic, you almost feel engrossed in a movie instead of reading words on a page. The alternating uses of vivid, gorgeous colors with black, white, and red is a visual feast. I want prints of the art hanging on my walls. It’s just so GOOD.

It can get a bit wordy to get you properly into the lore of the setting, however it’s completely worthwhile for the world building.

Easily a series that would draw in readers of dystopian futures and fantasy worlds, even if they aren’t into comics. Honestly, this could easily be developed into a show or film with the amount of depth it has. You get so much information in the first issue alone, which I don’t see all that often.

I highly recommend checking this series out. Issue six will be coming along from Scout Comics, so you’ll have more of Don Aguillo’s gorgeous storytelling to come!

You can order your own issues from Scout Comics or your local shop.

-Angel