Tae Kwon Donkey #1 Review: Crab Maga Rises

WEPA! Now this right here is indie comics walking into the dojo, cracking its neck, throwing on the gi, and saying, “Yeah, we’re about to get weird… but with heart.” Tae Kwon Donkey: The Reign of Crab Maga Issue #1: The Calm by Seth Balestrieri, Ryan Best, and HdE is a wild martial arts animal adventure that blends Saturday morning cartoon energy, underground indie chaos, emotional trauma, and straight-up absurdist comedy into one big hoof-powered haymaker of a debut.

The issue opens with a question that hits harder than expected: “What do we do with our grief?” That line immediately tells you this is not just a goofy animal-fighting comic where a donkey kicks somebody through drywall although, thank the comic gods, there is plenty of that energy too. This book is dealing with loss, fear, oppression, purpose, and the way people or in this case, animals try to move forward when the world has already stomped all over them. The phrase “Peace is subjective” sets the tone beautifully. It’s funny, but it’s also loaded. This world has been living under the shadow of Crab Maga, a tyrannical force with big villain energy, and the story smartly makes the comedy dance with danger instead of replacing it.

Seth Balestrieri clearly knows the kind of ridiculous world he is building, and the best part is that he commits to it with a straight face and a wink at the same time. Tae Kwon Donkey is an instantly lovable lead because he is not presented as some flawless warrior. He is tired, funny, distracted, emotionally bruised, and maybe a little too comfortable in his own mess. That makes him relatable. He’s got martial arts skill, sure, but he also has baggage, doubts, and a serious motivation problem. That combo gives the book its personality. The hero isn’t just fighting enemies; he is fighting the weight of everything he has been through. That’s where the book finds its soul.

Ryan Best’s art is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and brother, the lifting is clean. The character designs are big, expressive, and full of personality. Every animal looks like they could carry their own spin-off, from the martial arts masters to the mysterious villains to the background weirdos who look like they wandered in from the best toy aisle you never got as a kid. The splash pages pop, the action has motion, and the comedy lands visually because the faces are so exaggerated and animated. The world feels colorful, dangerous, and goofy without becoming sloppy. There are panels that feel like arcade character-select screens, training montages, kung fu movie posters, and animated series storyboards all rolled into one.

HdE’s lettering helps keep the madness moving, especially with the sound effects and big emotional beats. The giant “SILENCE!” moment is a great example of how lettering can make a page feel like it just slammed a gong in your face. The balloons carry a lot of banter, exposition, jokes, and lore, and most of the time the energy works because the book wants to feel fast and chaotic. That said, this first issue throws a LOT at the reader. We get a hero, a villain, a large supporting cast, a martial arts society, hidden history, emotional trauma, comedy beats, political oppression, action sequences, and mystery all in one issue. It’s exciting, but at moments the pacing feels like a donkey sprinting downhill on roller skates hilarious, impressive, and slightly dangerous. Some readers may need a second pass to fully absorb the world-building and character names.

But here’s the thing: the ambition is part of the charm. Tae Kwon Donkey does not feel like a timid indie book trying to ask permission to exist. It kicks the door open, throws a crab-shaped shadow across the room, and says, “Welcome to the universe.” The strongest moments come when the book slows down just enough to let the emotional core breathe. The grief angle, the invisible burden, the idea of fighting not just for survival but for meaning that’s where this comic separates itself from being just “funny animal martial arts action” and becomes something with real potential.

Issue #1 is called The Calm, but let’s keep it real this calm has explosions in the background, emotional damage in the corner, and a crab tyrant warming up off-panel. It’s funny, strange, stylish, and packed with personality. Is it a little crowded? Yeah. Does every joke land perfectly? Not every single one. But when this book hits, it hits with a flying donkey kick straight to the imagination. This is the kind of indie comic that reminds you why Kickstarter comics matter: creators taking big swings, building bizarre worlds, and giving readers something that does not feel factory-made.

Tae Kwon Donkey: The Reign of Crab Maga #1 is a hoof-to-the-chest debut with laughs, lore, heart, and enough martial arts madness to make your inner Saturday morning kid yell, “Run it back!” The creative team has built a world worth exploring, and if future issues tighten the pacing while digging deeper into the emotional stakes, this could evolve into something seriously special. For now, Issue #1 delivers a fun, frantic, heartfelt first strike.

CRUSADERS SCORE:
4/5

Team Credits Box:
Title: Tae Kwon Donkey: The Reign of Crab Maga Issue #1: The Calm
Writer/Creator: Seth Balestrieri
Art: Ryan Best
Letters: HdE
Publisher/Project: Tae Kwon Donkey Universe / Kickstarter-Funded Indie Comic