Trapped inside her mountain by pollution-spewing factories, the guardian spirit Zawa only has industrial waste to eat, leading her to a bitter existence of paranoia and destruction. But when two siblings from a nearby village help her escape, they’ll quickly learn that the way to calming Zawa’s heart is through a well nourished stomach! Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1 takes us to a magical world with an intriguing concept and a solid message.

Michael Dialynas does it all when it comes to Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1, story, art, color, and lettering. It’s his vision and it’s a solid one. Dialynas takes us to a world, a grimy one but also one enveloped in a darkness. The Mayor of the town has entranced the people and only brought an unhealthy life. While not front and center, Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1 is a story with a message, a positive one about the environment, healthy eating, and freeing oneself from corporate control.

The result of it all is a magical debut. There’s something that clicks overall from the story to the art, resulting in an issue that feels like a magical fairytale you’d be told while trying to fall asleep or sitting to watch on the big screen.

The art is fantastic as expected. Dialynas’ style is perfect for this world delivering a gritty but fantastical setting that’s part Jim Henson, part Tim Burton, and a little Final Fantasy VII thrown in too. The result is a comic that you’ll want to linger on the pages to soak in all of the visuals and get a sense of the world as a whole.

Zawa + The Belly of the Beast #1 mixes beautiful art, an entertaining story, and a fantastic underlying message into a comic that’s an absolute buy.

Story: Michael Dialynas Art: Michael Dialynas
Color: Michael Dialynas Letterer: Michael Dialynas
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle