Firebug

Written and Drawn by: Johnnie Christmas

Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain

Letters by: Ariana Maher

Publisher: Image Comics

Price $16.99

Release date: 3/7 for Comics Shop, 3/13 for Bookstores

Image Comics has always been known for creating amazing worlds whether it’s the zombie apocalypse in Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead to the super powered world of YoungBlood from Rob Liefeld. Enter Firebug from writer/artist Johnnie Christmas and colorist Tamra Bonvillain.

The story of Firebug is very simple and yet very complex. It centers around a young woman named Keegan who becomes the next Goddess of Fire and must travel to the ancient city of Azar and save the city and the volcano where the Goddess gets her powers. The city is under threat of annihilation from creatures known as The Forest. Along the way Keegan is accompanied by new friends and faces more threats in the mysterious Cult of the Goddess who plan to use Keegan and her powers for very selfish reasons.

The world that Johnnie Christmas creates in Firebug is small and intimate while being grand in scale. It is so easy to get lost in the story and care about the characters that by the time it is all over you have to catch your breath from the emotional and heroic journey that you just experienced in these pages. Keegan is a strong and emotional woman who cares about the ones who are closest to her and does everything in her power to protect them and at times she does fail which makes her journey even more impactful than ever.

Let’s talk about the art for a second. The character designs by Christmas are detailed and every character has their own unique style that compliments the way they were written. From the innocent style of Keegan to the mysterious shroud of the Cult of the Goddess, Christmas brings it in every fashion. Even the backgrounds are incredible with the ripple of the water to the different flames that blaze on the torches on the walls. The colors that Tamra Bonvillain chooses are incredible and bright, even at night the sky takes on a beautiful purple that sets the mood for the shot in a way that I have not seen before. When Keegan is using her fire powers the orange and yellow spark across the page and you focus on nothing but the flame as it draws you even deeper into the action sequences.

All and all I had an amazing time reading this original graphic novel and I hope to see more of this world for years to come. I cannot find any faults with this book at all and I hope everyone who reads it enjoys their time in this world.

Firebug is a five volcanoes out of five