This Indie Fantasy Series is a MUST-READ! | Review "The Last Wand #1-2"

I HATE FANTASY.

The reasons why I hate fantasy are because I want to LOVE fantasy. I want to get into the lore of every freaking race and creature, and want to explore massive worlds that are filled with magic, monsters, and more. I've been told me read Brandon Sanderson books and have politely pushed them away. I've been given the Wheel of Time and want to throw up at the idea of reading all of that. I've been given various comics, manga, anime, movies, and tv shows to consume and yet all of them are unable to satisfy what I want in a fantasy. 

What do I want in a fantasy? I have no idea honestly, but I can tell you this...

The Last Wand by John Schell (writer), Samuel Andre (art), and Dave Lentz (Letterer & Designer) is the kind of fantasy that I want.

Issue #1 focuses on the story of Keon. After suffering a massive tragedy with a family member, Keon dives deep into a massive depression, with premonitions of a world beyond his own. Amongst these dreams, are visions of him wielding a magical wand, moment's with dead loved one, and a look into the future at what is going to unfold. 

This page right here was one of the coolest moments that hooked me into this story. We can see that in the future, Keon and several other characters (who we assume are all friends) will suffer massively. We also get a glimpse of Keon in what might be his "final form" as a powerful wand wielder. 

What's crazy however with this page, is that once Keon wakes up we get to actually meet these characters, and they are not friends. In fact, Keon has to break a fight between several of them. This foreshadowing is brilliantly executed as we the reader now understand that there is so much more to the story than we realize. 

Issue #2 focuses on the character of Aba, who lives in a world called Krios. This is a world filled with Fantasy and Magic, and John does and excellent job of introducing us to the various characters, and magic system that he is showcasing. I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a massive fight scene that involves nasty creatures, fantasy weapons, and of course...magic. 

There are massive cliffhangers at the end of both #1 and #2, and I can't wait to see where this story goes. For me, this is my favorite fantasy comic story that I've read, and one of my top indie comic series of all time. 

The book is currently available on Kickstarter until January 18th, 2024. Here's the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thelastwand/the-last-wand-ceremony-of-chaos