Maestros #1

Writer/Artist: Steve Skroce 
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Lettering & Design: Fonografiks
Publisher: Image Comics

A review by Samantha Pearson

Maestros #1 is a whirlwind. The basic plot is that the Maestro, an all-powerful wizard who rules over a foreign planet, has been murdered. So has his entire family. Luckily (?), he has an ex-wife and son exiled on Earth, both of whom were spared from the massacre because of their exile. As the Maestro’s last remaining kin, Will — a millennial with a chip on his shoulder — must assume the throne.

Maestros is a bizarre twist of sci-fi and fantasy that gets caught up in quite a few dick jokes. There’s magic, and familial relationships, and many of the themes that writer/artist Steve Skroce discussed in our interview with him. However, the book relies on stereotypes: daddy issues, women with voracious sexual appetites, an alien desire to get off on torture, poorly-communicated polygamy, and a kid with too much power for his own good.

Will, the main character, comes off as rather unlikeable. No one is more unlikeable than the Maestro himself, who appears in flashbacks that detail the exposition of the world Skroce throws us into. But Will, as the Maestro’s son, has apparently inherited many of his worst habits — including a self-assuredness that comes off as cockiness. It isn’t attractive.

The best element of this book, by far, is Will’s mother Margaret. Her relationship with the Maestro was fraught, and her relationship with her son is— well. She’s protective, for sure, but she also never wanted this life for him. Watching her navigate that, even in Maestros #1, is painful. She’s the only well-established woman of the series so far, and her relationship to Will is the focal point of her character. Her power is magnificent, though, and her desire to be away from the Maestro’s world is palpable.

Colorist Dave Stewart does some really incredible things with Skroce’s art, which is both a blessing and a curse. The gory bits and the flagrant penises seem to jump off the page… but so does the magic. Stewart is good at his craft, that’s for certain, and his work on Maestros is stunning.

Verdict
Wait. While Maestros is an interesting concept, its execution falls a little short. The nuance is missing, which makes the concept of the book seem a little too trite — but this is only the first issue. The series may pick up as it continues.

Samantha Puc
theverbalthing@gmail.com
Samantha Puc is a freelance writer, editor, and social media manager residing in southern New England with her partner and three cats. She likes Shakespeare, space babes, bikes, and dismantling the patriarchy. She also loves vegan food. Her work has appeared on Rogues Portal, SheKnows, Femsplain, The Tempest, and elsewhere. For more, follow her on Twitter!

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