Comic book review: The Alchemist of Aurillia 3

Written and art by Melissa Massey

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I wrote last August about Melissa Massey's previous episode of this series, chronicling the adventures of her main character Nuriye as she trains as a wizard in a quasi-Turkish setting in a past long ago. In that issue she manages to conjure a spirit in a flame named Shale. In part 3 it's established that a witch named Yahti whose heart was stolen wants to destroy the world!

Nuriye teams up with her more combative and assertive friend Aiza, a princess from far off along with another friend Raziol who helps in studying some ancient papers. What they need to do is -of course- defeat the witch. They find the only answer within the ancient texts. Part 3 wraps up with them going on a journey which not doubt will be the backdrop for the next episode.

I'm happy to report that the action of her stories is getting better, and I can follow along fairly well what Melissa's trying to show us. The character actions, poses and expressions align fairly well with the story's thread. It's a fairly complicated thread as well, but I get the feeling that this is something laid down and resolved in Melissa's imagination long before it has been put to paper.

As much as I missed the color stuff she was working on in earlier books I am getting used to the black and white treatment. Melissa uses a lot of clever gray tones and fill areas so that it's obvious she's aware of compositional choices in being limited to non-color. There's a nice 'just do it' approach here, she just simply puts out on each panel her best approximation of say, a fight scene involving a training sequence. Nuriye needs to have the physical abilities to fight future foes while Aiza trains her.

I am very much looking forward to her next installment! Melissa Massey also has a pay by monthly (like a tip jar) version of her work in Patreon that's worth checking out.

Next Tuesday:

It's Day-Glo A-Hole ONE by Ben Passmore. Uh... I don't know exactly how I came across this.