With the king of Blacksand murdered, a team of bounty hunters tracks the murderers throughout the land. The king’s former court assassin, Javro, learns of the news and must find the bounty hunters, including her son and the killers, before the deadly ghost known as the Dark Whisper reaches them. The talented team of Chip Zdarsky and Kris Anka return to the world of Blacksand with The Whisper Queen: A Blacksand Tale #1, which has a perfect mix of fantasy, intrigue, and sensuality. 

In the same fantasy setting as the previous miniseries, Zdarsky focuses on a new cast of characters in a different part of the world. I appreciate his penchant for world-building within context clues of conversations and other natural ways while letting the readers fill in the blanks. His greater focus lies within the characters and their relationship with how they see and interact with the world instead of having the reader look in as an outside observer. The lived-in nature of the world makes it feel like a living, breathing world whose surface has barely scratched. It’s a beautiful setting which is also unapologetically queer as well.

Javro is a compelling protagonist whose mysterious past provides a substantial investment for readers to latch onto. Seeing only glimpses of her past and initially being locked up by the dead king, I instantly wanted to learn more about her and how she got into this predicament. A party of three women provides a viewpoint different from the male group in the previous series. Zdarsky also establishes the shared history of Javro, Telkwa, and Waltax, making their relationships feel more realistic and lived with set dynamics and conflicts. Elements and themes such as parents looking after their children, the lead character’s dark secret, and the quest to find their child make The Whisper Queen: A Blacksand Tale #1 a mirror to The White Trees, where they are conversing with each other. 

The highly talented work of Anka makes a much-welcome return, where he crafts a stunning world filled with fantastical settings, fantastic character designs, and plenty of sex appeal. Anka is not afraid to make passion drip off the page as he gorgeously draws a beautiful world filled with even more sumptuous characters. In addition, Anka nails intrigue and action with his super clean style and lines. Returning colorist Matt Wilson and new letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou help the fantasy setting feel more original and unique while tying in with the previous miniseries. 

Despite five years since the previous miniseries ended, Zdarsky and Anka return in full force in their strong follow-up The Whisper Queen: A Blacksand Tale #1. With an exciting new trio of characters with a thrilling emotional and action-filled adventure, the issue lives up to the massive built-up hype. Mature in its storytelling and art, the story feels like the best type of fantasy. So, journey to the Blacksands and follow the party on their upcoming travels.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Kris Anka
Color: Matt Wilson Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 9.3 Art: 9.6 Overall: 9.4 Recommendation: Read

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle