Review - Princeless: Find Yourself #1 (@ActionLab)

"I hope Adrienne is doing better than I am."

The life of a princess is fraught with stereotypes and challenges. Overcoming them makes one a better person, but doesn't mean that overcoming them will be easy. In Princeless: Find Yourself #1 from Action Lab Entertainment the challenges are certainly challenging. The issue is written by Jeremy Whitley, illustrated by Emily Martin, inked by Ainhoa Aramayo and colored/lettered by Brett Grunig.

Finally, after all this time, Adrienne is on the way to rescue her oldest sister, Alize. Since the day she left the tower, this is as far as she had planned. Now, it's all falling apart. Bedelia stayed behind in the mountains with her family and now Adrienne can't find Alize's tower. Will she end up lost and alone wandering the desert? Meanwhile, Devin and his friends have stumbled onto an army attacking a town right on the borders of their kingdom? Who are they and what do they want?

Whitley is telling a tale on two fronts: one in the more traditional Princeless track and one in the more traditional Princeless friends track; both stories are told very cleanly and Whitley does a solid job of volleying between the two of them. Whitley has always written stories that empower individuals and the way he draws on key characteristics for both is always impressive. Adrienne is given full attention in the issue a Whitley puts her in a situation that requires her to endure and persevere. The secondary story with Devin and co. is an interesting contrast, as Whitley uses it as a means of keeping tabs on everything else going on in the Princeless world. Whitley's dialogue remains entertaining and relatively lighthearted considering the stakes at play.

Martin's illustrations are simple yet extremely effective at matching the tone of the issue. All of the characters are drawn in a very friendly manner that underscores their general demeanour. Martin does an especially entertaining job with Sparky and Adrienne, elegantly displaying their contrasting personalities through very impassioned facial expressions. Many of the pages do showcase an almost dizzying array of panels that ebb and flow amidst one another to keep things moving. Grunig's colors are rich and bold throughout the issue.

Princeless: Find Yourself #1 is another solid entry in the series that is very enjoyable. Adrienne and Devin are on two different quests but are running into their own share of issues in each adventure. Whitley's script is fast-paced and thorough, offering clever dialogue that truly defines the characters. Martin's illustrations are a great fit for the tone of the story, capturing an effervescent appeal while also still feeling mature. Princeless: Find Yourself #1 should definitely be on anyone's read list just because it's awesome.

Princeless: Find Yourself #1 is available now.