REVIEW: Kaya #19

Kaya

Kaya Is an interesting name; it’s short and punchy but also has an air of grace about it. This book was completely off my radar until my lovely partner, also named Kaya, pointed the comic out in my review list. The experience of reading this comic was very different to my normal review schedule. Instead of sitting down with a coffee and reading it on my tablet, we both sat at the computer going through the book doing our own voices, me taking care of the male characters, and my girlfriend providing the voice of Captain Kaya. She’s got voice acting experience, so this was a lot of fun and a lively time.

That’s Captain Kaya!

From what I understand about the regular Kaya book, she’s normally not some type of swashbuckling pirate Captain who librates slaves, but that’s exactly what we get in this flash-forward issue thrusting us into the far-gone future of the character despite the main story not having caught up to this event in time yet. The forward from the writer Wes Craig even makes a cheeky jab at this, telling us they are a ‘cruel’ writer wanting to bait their audience with a thrilling look into the future.

When we join Kaya, we are met with a more experienced and seasoned woman who sails from port to port, freeing slaves from their masters and then offering those of them who are fit to fight and sail a spot in her fleet. Kaya and her ramshackle army intend to take out the kingdom that is the primary cause of slavery throughout the land. The pirate vibe this issue gives off is quite intoxicating like a good swig of rum on a cold night offering a familiar backdrop to these high seas escapades. Her crew and the people she frees are these strange humanoid animals who wouldn’t look out of place in a TMNT title, and honestly, that’s not a bad thing. The designs are lively, and it’s easy to tell the animal characters apart from the first mate to the crew’s smartass.

Shades Of Gray

Kaya #19 has an art style I just can’t get enough of. It uses greys and blacks in a way that just lights up the panels with minimal colouring reminiscent of the original TMNT Mirage Comics by Eastman and Laird or the way that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker handled its cutscenes with comic panels due to the PSP’s limited hardware. The panels have a sense of watercolouring about them with natural inks and blacks; it all blends to make for a minimalist yet appealing style to keep your eyes natrually bouncing from panel to panel. While I love the art, the plotline and the characters, my only problem with this book is the last few pages that could have been used to expand on this seafaring adventure were used for an off-panel gag short that contributes nothing to the overall tale we were following in this floppy.

That is in no way to disparage the artist who worked on that short; the characters are drawn in simple yet appealing ways, much like you’d see on Cartoon Network‘s lineup like Adventure Time or Regular Show. As a reviewer, my first job is to the audience buying these, and bang for your buck is part of my judging scale. While this is a compelling standalone, the issue could have pushed its story a little further at the cost of a short gag comic.

“Kaya is a series with a compelling lead and should be something you keep an eye on as it progresses.”

FINAL SCORE
4/5

PUBLISHER: Image Comics
WRITER: Wes Craig
ARTIST: Wes Craig
COLORS: Wes Craig