Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Review: The Prince of Persia (First Second)

This one is an oddity. It is supposedly based on the original video game of the same name. However, the only connections to the source material are a prince and Persia. The book is not even mainstream, which is probably one of the reasons why First Second was willing to publish it. The other reason is quality.

As I mentioned; not mainstream. Action is relatively low; no acrobatic jumps, no complex sword fights, but lots of mysticism. The copy I had, a library one, was in rather good condition. You are less likely to see mainstream books in such conditions.

The Prince of Persia looks to Arabian Nights (or One Thousand and One Nights) for inspiration. And this is what you get; a throwback to old Arabian tales. Like most books published by First Second, you can expect this one to be of similar quality, that is if you know what that is. I know I am not being explicit, but given the kind of books I read, I doubt anyone who reads only mainstream comics would bother with it. For those who read alternative comics, I suppose I have written enough. Just knowing the book is in the style of Arabian Nights and not the video game is enough to get me to pick it up.

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