Let's go this time to discover a work that deserves to be better known, Everdark ! Discover a French shonen mixing action, magic and mystery.
Everdark
Everdark is the first manga by Romain Lemaire, a French author. The series currently has 6 volumes in progress, available from Pika Edition.
Immerse yourself in the kingdom of Ephemera with Neer, a lonely young warrior. The latter will stand up to the kingdom of Solaris, who wants to recover the energy of the "Watchers", petrified giant deities. This energy is malicious, and so is Solaris' goal. Neer will therefore do everything possible to prevent a war from breaking out against the "Upper Heaven".
A world at war
The first pages, in color, immerse you from the beginning in a world where chao reigns. Indeed, a small, harmless-looking animal turns into a terrifying monster. This is followed by a fight against Solaris. The author will have waited only a few boxes before the main protagonists confront each other. Of course, the story doesn't end there. A chase between Solaris and Neer will then see the light of day. Which of our two camps will achieve its goal first?
Everdark tells you the story of Neer, a young man trying to stop an organization seeking only power, no matter what consequences it may have. As you might have guessed, magic is a main element of this series. Our hero has them and it seems that he is really very powerful. Very beautiful fights are therefore to be expected both in this volume and in the following ones.
But Everdark is also a lesson. Indeed, our young hero seems to want to prevent a catastrophe from occurring… Finally, happens again. Indeed, one city seems to have been hit by a violent disaster, Providence, the cursed city. Although we do not yet know exactly what it is about, we do know that everything is related to the "Watchmen". Neer therefore seeks to prevent the mistake from repeating itself. Unfortunately, human beings find it difficult not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Fortunately, not everyone seeks power at all costs. Several resistance groups have emerged, and are doing everything to ensure that Solaris' plans fail. Of course, we don't know all the groups we're talking about, or the characters who are part of them, they're just discussed. This should come in the next volumes. We also don't know Neer's motives, although we think it has something to do with Providence.
This first volume lays the foundation for a story full of action, suspense and incredible fights. Indeed, several action scenes are present in this first volume. No time to get bored besides.
Future alliances?
On the character side, we meet Neer. We know little about it, but the little we do know intrigues us. Whether it's his power, his motivations or his desire to stay alone, this character looks very promising.
But he's not the only intriguing character we've met. Indeed, whether the characters are allies or enemies, they are for the most part very interesting. Whether it was the members of Solaris that Neer faces, or the young boy Milo, and his trainer Eleanor, all piqued our curiosity. Indeed, the author reveals very little information about them, just enough for us to want to know more.
We can also ask ourselves if all these meetings will have an impact on Neer's motivation and goals. Will he accept an alliance with other opponents of Solaris? Or will he choose to stay alone, even if it means failing?
Of course, we do not have the answers to our questions. But what we do know is that the author's pencil stroke is very good! The graphics are very well done, both for the characters and for the scenery. The characters are well drawn, we find with pleasure their emotions, but also admire their outfits, armor, … On the decor side, we can take the time to admire the details when a new place is presented to us. And for fighting, it's the same thing. The action scenes are very well done and are pleasant to discover.
This first volume of Everdark is a very nice discovery. In addition to finding a quality shonen, we have the chance to discover a very promising French author. If you like series full of action, magic and explosive combat, don't think and go for it! For those who still hesitate, we suggest you dive into HITOMOJI deadly stress.
