Amethyst #5 – Amy Reeder, Writer/Artist; Marissa Louise, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: A fascinating subversion of fantasy epics, Amy Reeder’s Amethyst has been a great new take on the semi-obscure DC heroine. It’s set up a compelling setup with Amethyst’s kingdom being seemingly disappeared and frozen in crystal, and it’s given her a likable group of friends. But that’s nothing compared to the big reveals that happen this issue, as Amy reunites with her allies in the Kingdom of Emerald—a fascinating kingdom of trees. They make their way to the Diamond Court, the authority that settles conflicts between kingdoms, and there they make a series of extreme allegations against Amy’s kingdom. The Diamond Court claims that the entire origin story she knows is a fraud, that her parents were the leading conspirators in a plot by their kingdom to seize control of all of Gemworld, and that they essentially left the world to Dark Opal’s mercy while deliberately freezing themselves in crystal.
It’s hard to get past just how unlikable this court is, with them insisting that a genocide is the appropriate consequence for the plot and quickly turning on Amy once they render their judgement, but the fascinating thing is that Amy doesn’t seem all that shocked. She soon starts questioning everything she knows and comes to the conclusion that there have always been a lot of holes in her parents’ story. This leads to her having a beautifully depicted crisis of faith just as she needs to be clear-headed most, as she and her friends are fleeing for their lives. Despite the high-fantasy tone, this series has done an amazing job of depicting the teenage psyche, but it’s hard to believe there’s only one issue left. It seems like the Wonder Comics line is fading away, which is a shame because every title in it has been among DC’s best over the last few years. More original titles like this, please.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
