Maestros #1

by Michael D on October 18, 2017

Writer & Artist: Steve Skroce
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Image Comics

This week we see creator Steve Skroce finally tackle his own book, and it’s been worth the wait. Skroce is mostly known for his art in We Stand on Guard and The Matrix series but here we see him handle writing duties too. Maestros is about a banished son living on Earth who has to return to inherit the throne of an magical world after the rest of his family was slaughtered. It’s really screwed up but also a ton of fun. Skroce plays with every fantasy and adventure trope here and turns them on their head.

The main character, Willy Little, is a millennial living in Florida. Not exactly the best mixture for a likable protagonist. That’s kind of the point though. When we meet him, he’s hanging out at a strip club despite totally being a feminist. He’s currently owns his own microbrewery but dreams of settling down and opening his own used bookstore. It’s some great stuff. This all comes crashing down when he is suddenly thrust with the responsibility of the throne and leaving Earth. There is also the threat of the evil wizard who is still at large after killing his entire extended family.

Here the rest of the book switches to a flashback sequence to when Will was first introduced to this part of his life. He meets his father in a particularly memorable scene and from there we get a bit of an exposition dump. We are properly introduced to the world of Maestros and despite being an exposition dump; the world building is very interesting. I can’t wait to see what other crazy ideas Skroce has got up his sleeve, especially in regards to Will’s wizard school.There is some great work on making Will more compelling. It seems as though the book might keep this two part story line consistent throughout the book, the first half in the present and the second in the past. I think this works really well as it gives Will some great character development.

Skroce’s art is fantastic. He’s got a detailed style that really meshes well with the fantasy/ adventure genre. The designs are unique but you still get an immediate understanding of what his inspirations are.

Maestros #1 is the most fun you'll have this week. The art is top notch and the story is insane. It should be in everyones pulllist.
 

Our Score:

9/10

A Look Inside