Reviews»Comic Books»Mulan: Revelations #1
mulan1
Kareem Ali 4.5

Mulan: Revelations #1

 

  • The good

    Great start to series connecting past and present. Interesting dynamics in current society. Enjoyable characters

  • The bad

    Not informing one of connection to priceless history

  • The ugly

  • Mulan: Revelations #1 is a new series written by Marc Andreyko and published by Dark Horse Comics about Mulan, a warrior protecting humanity from an ancient threat. It’s set in 2125 where technological achievements are almost boundless but society hasn’t caught up as it’s divided between those who have and those who don’t. But there’s also another threat to society and that’s a techno-virus that targets people indiscriminately, and forces the immune system to reject all tech implants in the body. And since over 80% of the world’s population has implants this has the potential to be a catastrophic pandemic even affecting those who created it. However, in order to understand the source of this virus one must know the history that traces back to 500 B.C. in China. As a war waged between Immortals and Hybrids, the latter gained the upper hand as the Immortals were fighting to protect what was known as the Archive. Seeing it as hopeless, the Immortals rescued Mulan, an ancestor to the current one, since she was infused with special abilities she had yet to tap into. And with the hour of defeat near, the Immortals set to prepare Mulan for her hidden destiny in order to achieve victory. But how does this tie into the life of the current Mulan almost 3,000 years later?

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    When it comes to cyberpunk stories it doesn’t take much for me to want to check them out, and since one of my favorite series hasn’t had in issue out in months, I definitely wanted to check out Mulan: Revelations #1. And if this first issue was any indication on how this series will go then I’m glad I did check it out. It does a really good job in laying out the current world with the usual themes of technological advancements highlighting the sharp social divide between the rich and the poor while making it feel somewhat unique with its set of characters. But it also does more than that by connecting the current events (and characters) to an ancient history giving it the potential for a rich backstory. The way this issue started off at the end of the battle between the Hybrids and the Immortals was an intriguing start because it made me interested in what made Mulan special and curious about the extent of her abilities. In just a few pages this issue made me care about the purpose of the war, the mysteries being concealed by the Immortals and how it ties into the present day situation. The story flowed very well. And in the present day, enough of a connection in the form of the virus and the Hybrids role in it to jump start interest. And the characters, mainly the current Mulan, were compelling, and Mulan’s brother could even provide a way for the series to explore the excesses (or underground society) of those at the top of the class divide painting a fuller picture of the futuristic world. And yes, there was plenty of action in the present day with Mulan already being trained in martial arts despite no knowledge of her connection to past events. And I won’t give away any spoilers but with the way this issue ended I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    Mulan: Revelations #1 is an excellent start to the series with interesting characters, an engrossing backstory and a potentially rich dynamic in the societal structure of the current world. From start to finish it’s an enjoyable read and I’m excited about what’s ahead. Mulan comes off as a capable and well-rounded character while the action and artwork only enhance the story. As a fan of cyberpunk, I think Dark Horse has something good in its hands with this series.

     

    Release Date: 6/24/15

    Writer: Marc Andreyko

    Artist: Micah Kaneshiro

     

     

  • Rating ( 9.4 )
  • Total score 9.4

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