Aria Volume 1: The Magic Of Aria (v. 1) [Paperback]

Brian Holguin (Author), Jay Anacleto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002

Somewhere around the corner, just beyond the edge of perception, lies a world you never dreamed existed...A world where creatures of ancient myth and gods long thought dead walk unnoticed along the crowded streets of Manhattan. Where ladies of Faerie dance lonely nights away, bathed in soft neon glare. Where every shadow holds a secret, and every secret has a price. Where danger and wonder can be found at any turn, if you only know where to look. Welcome to the World of...Aria.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Image Comics (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158240139X
• ISBN-13: 978-1582401393
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,668,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastically Fractured Faerie Tale, April 5, 2003

By 

Kristin Munson (Wakefield, RI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aria Volume 1: The Magic Of Aria (v. 1) (Paperback)

Brian Holguin is one of those rare comic book authors who could have a five-year-old doing his illustrations and you just wouldn't care because the story would suck you completely in regardless. Fortunately for us he doesn't have a toddler, he has the terminally gifted Jay Ancleto, and if that isn't enough to send you into the throes of ecstacy then I don't know what is.

Between the two of them they conjure up an utterly believable realm where fairies and ancient gods walk among us, as human as you or I but merely gifted with magicks and a conditional immortality. Lady Kildare is beautiful, chain-smoking, leather-loving, fairie with a take-no-prisoners attitude and a day job at a curiosity shop. Pug is her tattooed, incorrigible partner in crime who's as handy with a broadsword as he is with the dispatching of a case of beer. Her cousin Gwynnion is fragiley insane in a thoroughly endearing way and it is she who serves as the catalyst for the Second Coming of The Dark One. The three of them, plus some other eccentrically magickal characters you may or may not recognize, have to trek halfway around the world, through worlds mundane and magical to try and save both realms from imminent Armageddon.

Which is not to say this is just one long, drawn-out, bloody swords and sorcery story. Just the opposite. There are many quiet, character development moments infused with humor; especially funny are Gwynnions meanderings in and out of sanity (Or as close to sanity as she can get) and a scene where Kildare has to deal with one ignorant customer after another until all she can do is disparagingly declare 'Oh what fools these mortals be'.

The only thing that keeps this book from being a five star read is the disconcerting jump from Ancleto to a fill-in artist- who is still very good but works in a completely different style that gives you a jarring transition- for one of the four issues. Also, Ancleto's fully shaded, photo-realistic illustrations are so perfect as-is it would have been nice to see them without computer effects layered on top of them. I defy you to look at the untouched black and white covers and sample panels at the back of the book and think that they could be improved in any way with a bit of color.

Graphic novels are the DVDs of the comic world; as such the extras are what make or break the final prouduct and Aria simply teems with them. About a third of the book is nothing but bonus material, including a cover gallery that features all the issue's covers, even the alternate ones, with all the logos removed to let you appreciate 100% of the beauty. There's also a bonus prose story by Brian Holguin and lots of assorted sketches and pin-ups by Jay Ancleto.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Art is Fantasic but..., October 12, 2004

By 

joseph johnson (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aria Volume 1: The Magic Of Aria (v. 1) (Paperback)

The art by Anacleto is simply amazing. There is an issue in here done by a different artist that pales in comparison to the rest of the book (Guess he needed a week off). But the story's pretty generic (Fairies, witches dragons, etc). I recommend it nonetheless

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking..., August 2, 2001

By 

RXCSLC (TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aria Volume 1: The Magic Of Aria (v. 1) (Paperback)

The volume contains the first set of issues from the wonderful series, Aria. Jay Anacleto's photo-realistic artwork is breathtaking, and Brian Holguin is the master when it comes to writing fairy tale stories for adults.