Marassa #1
Writer: Greg Anderson-Elysée
Artist: Antonello Cosentino
Colourist: Francesco Montalbano
Letterer: Justin Birch
Publisher: Evoluzione Publishing
Review by Josh Rose
Ready yourselves for a tale of adventures, fighting pirates, intergalactic travel, and aliens galore. Wait… Pirates and aliens? In Marassa #1 you’ll get to see not only aliens, pirates, and bounty hunters, but also a family searching for their lost inheritance and heritage.
Greg Anderson-Elysée has always had a passion for representation in comics. Until recently, Star Wars was one such franchise that lacked racial diversity, despite a plethora of aliens and unique creatures. Anderson-Elysée has crafted an incredibly detailed world that is uniquely its own, but reminiscent of the aforementioned space saga. What makes Marassa #1 different from Star Wars is that the majority of the main characters are black. What’s wonderful about this is how matter-of-fact it is. It’s not shoved down readers’ throats, but neither are they black skinned characters with white personalities. They are black in every way.
Antonello Cosentino’s art really sells this sci-fi adventure; it’s grounded in a strange way that somehow looks familiar. The very first panel looks like it could take place in an Arizona desert if it weren’t for the large celestial bodies in the night sky. The auction scene feels like something taken right out of Aladdin. Francesco Montalbano’s colours give this universe a sense of realism, but sometimes things get a little strange reminding readers that this story does not take place on our Earth.
The Verdict: Buy it!
Marassa #1 is a great tale about family, treasure, and adventure all set in a galaxy far, far away. If you like Star Wars and care about representation you should pick this up.
Marassa #1 is currently being crowd-funded here on Kickstarter.
