REVIEW: MAE #7 (VOL. 2 #1)

So, I’m not sure if anyone remembers, but way back in 2016 when I was new to Comic Crusaders, my very first interview featured the comic artist Gene Ha. Dark Horse was publishing his creator owned series “Mae”, which had success on Kickstarter and was his first real writing credit. (For that article, dig deep into the #TeamCC archives… or just click HERE!)

Well, two years later, the story of Mae and her world-hopping sister Abbie is continuing right where it left off. Still in search of their father, the fierce, nerdy ladies must navigate the magical portal world with their talking cat-warrior sidekick by using a combination of wits, deception, and combat skills to avoid capture. Along the way, Abbie (here known as Queen Ani) encounters a former ally who has moved on, both professionally and romantically.

Oh, yeah, Abbie is revealed to be into chicks in this issue (or maybe it was before and I can“t remember). Either way, it makes sense and feels inclusive. Big thumbs up for that.

Anyway, the story makes some nice progress to pull in new readers with action and humor and world-building mythos, but without the backstory of the first six issues most will have a lot of questions. Luckily, with the transition to the Lion Forge imprint Roar, Gene Ha’s first arc of Mae has been collected in a trade paperback for a quick, easy cram session. I’m so glad the fantastic world of sisterly love continues with this new rising publisher because it is fresh and fun, with gorgeous artwork and pop culture references too. The colors by Wes Hartman are bolder than ever and Zander Cannon really knows how to create dimension through his lettering.

The one critique I would make would be for the editor to set the stage for Mae, for the benefit of new readers. I have every issue, but even I found myself blanking on what had happened in issue 5 over a year ago. Since the book was picked up by a new company, a simple recap of characters, settings, and the story so far would have great benefit for all parties involved. I can see why Lion Forge would just push for readers to pick up the trade, but not everyone has that luxury on new #1’s. For accessibility and budgets sake, just pop in a summary. As far as the book itself goes, I think it’s as great as ever before.

To be honest, I thought Mae was done after issue 6 and was quite disappointed. The story ended with no real resolution and much more of the world to explore. I caught up with Gene at C2E2 last April and was thrilled to discover he was moving forward with this pet project. After over two years from our first interaction, it is so satisfying to see great comics reemerge in such a competitive industry, especially when produced by such sincerely nice creators like Gene Ha. Pick up the trade of Volume One and be sure to check out Mae #7 (a.k.a. Volume 2, #1) in stores NOW! A-Mae-zing, 5 out of 5 Stars!

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(W) Gene Ha (A/CA) Gene Ha

Author Profile

Robert Anderegg

Robert joined Comic Crusaders in 2016 as contributor, but has been an active online voice through social media for almost ten years. His hobbies include reading and collecting comics, attending theme parks, making music, and driving his wife insane. Deadpool and Nightcrawler are his two favorite superheroes, and while his preference is Marvel, he dabbles in every major and indie label in the comics community. He graduated from UTPB in 2013 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is currently seeking employment in that field. A southern boy at heart, he currently resides in the Midwest.