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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Kuruz: The Story So Far & Who will Live to See Earth Again?

With a preview of Kuruz: One by One set to be debuted at MCM London at the end of the month, here at Geek Pride we thought we’d do a little review on the story so far to whet your appetites for the next volume.

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From the get go, Sonesh Joshi’s first volume of Kuruz, titled Arrival throws both the readers and characters in the deep end, which is a definite running theme within the first installment.

Rather than gently coaxing it’s audience into a long-winded build up, Kuruz begins with a string of characters waking up in the strange planet of the same name. However, these are not mere mortals, as the humans are in fact superheroes/villains in their own right; with each possessing unique abilities. As bold openings go, Joshi handles this by making the reader feel intrigued to find out more about not only the characters, but also this mysterious planet that they have found themselves in.

While that may be the case, it’s understandable that perhaps for some who come across this comic would feel overwhelmed by this opening sequence, as something so fast-paced could feel a little hard to follow at first with such little introduction. However, throughout the narrative we are slowly but surely we are familiarized with not both the comic’s surroundings and those who inhabit it with segments of flashbacks for each character which garners a lot of likability.

In addition, the standalone prequel Life on Kuruz gives more of a backstory to the more vocal Kuruzians and the planet’s wildlife and scenery in the form of short stories, which is a welcome installment which makes these characters more relatable while also understanding their motives in Arrival.

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For such a lengthy roster of characters in the first volume alone, it’s commendable to see that each has their own unique personality that clearly shows in Joshi’s writing. Sticking to the theme of being thrown in the deep end, Kuruz isn’t afraid to generate it’s fair share of heartache with the plot’s twists and turns, which includes the demise of a potentially very likeable character; whom of which we later find out shares more than just a complicated bond with a fellow castaway. It tests the reader’s investment into the narrative, and ultimately pays off with engaging dialogue and what looks to be a highly multi layered story arc in the volumes to come.

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What also brings Kuruz another cause for attention is it’s unique style of artwork. Rather than sticking to a set artist and inker, the world of Kuruz is interpreted through various artists with each adding their own flare to it, keeping the world appearing fresh and inviting while cleverly never looking drastically different from page to page. It can be said that there is a somewhat of a uniform to Kuruz’s artwork, however it allows each artist to bring something new to the table without throwing the reader off. A good example of this would be the shadowy visuals of Th Tim Yu seen in The Suffering, which is then mixed in with Nikki Wynne’s more whimsical art as seen in the segment of My Sister. It acts almost like a celebration of all the artist’s visual strengths, that adds yet another layer to Kuruz’s charm.

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As a narrative that initially came into fruition whilst writing a Spider-Man comic, Joshi plans to keep Kuruz as a trilogy; with volume 2 set to be released next year. Indeed, volume 2 looks to build up the universe as Earth’s heroes and villains dealing with the events that happened in Arrival, with new alliances formed and their loyalty to each other is tested when there’s an opportunity to return home. Who will live to see Earth again I hear you ask? Well, you’ll have to wait and see, but if you happen to be at MCM London in the coming weeks, you’ll be able to see a sneak peak at volume 2 at Joshi’s stall. In addition to this, volume 2 recruits a new set of artists into the mix of storytelling, including Alessandro Miracolo and Shannon Kirkwood to add their own interpretation to world of Kuruz.

 

In the meantime however, there will be a new Kickstarter page for Kuruz which you can keep up to date with it’s launch by heading over to Joshi’s Facebook Page.

 

 

jesshealy24
jesshealy24
An all-round Comics, Games and Film Geek, Jess Healy is a 21 year-old photojournalist/model/cosplayer living in North Wales. Having recently taken the plunge into the intricate phenomenon of competitive cosplay, Jess's articles cater to all types of fandom that looks to celebrate geek community; whatever geek you may be!

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