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With all-new characters and a bounty of easter eggs to discover, Issue 1 of The Priming comic series left many in the Parallel community eager for more.
Since the reveal was only a few days ago and many still haven’t had a chance to read the comic yet, I’ve broken this article into two parts. The first part is a general recap that sheds some light on the main storyline. The second part includes some of my favorite moments, so skip that section if you don’t want any spoilers!
If you would like an NFT of Issue 1, check out the official collection on OpenSea. If not, you can ask a current comic owner to send along a copy, as each NFT comes with one free read, which is shared via e-mail.
Issue 1 of The Priming focuses on the Earthen faction.
Right away, you’re introduced to three characters from two different tribes: Tanakh of the Shaymak, and then Soleia and Orban of the Horahi. The three travelers join together and set off in haste for the land of Primea. Their goal – find the Earthen Paragon Shoshanna as soon as possible.
On their way to Primea, the group suddenly finds themselves facing a deadly foe. During the unexpected battle, Gaffar, Arbiter of Earth makes his grand appearance and shows up just in time to help the group overcome their daunting obstacle.
After subduing their foe, Gaffar takes the others straight to Primea. They arrive safely and get their audience with Shoshanna, only to find themselves quickly preparing for another journey. At this point, the group splits up. Gaffar and Soleia will continue on, while Orban and Tanakh stay in Primea with Shoshanna.
Nobody knows where they’re heading or why, but let’s just say the final page of the issue leaves you with an ice-cold cliffhanger.
This is a very short summary of the first issue, but what you need to know is pretty straightforward. Something is triggering the Priming. It’s causing major strife and destruction within the Shaymak tribe. And for some reason, Shoshanna seems to have an idea of what is happening…and it’s not good.
Note: This is your last chance to stop reading before the spoilers hit.
First of all, how about that ending? I don’t think anyone was expecting to turn the final page and see three Kathari scouts (likely Reliant Gammas) observing the Earthen landscape from a distant hillside. The first-person view from inside the binoculars on the final panel was a fantastic finish and a perfect cliffhanger for the next issue.
Secondly, it was really fun to discover the various easter eggs scattered throughout the comic. I’ve shared some provable references and possible connections below, but if I’m missing any others, ping me in Discord (@Goldy_TGG) so I can check them out! I’m sure there are more that we haven’t found or realized yet.
In terms of the broader story arc, it was so satisfying to get some context behind the events leading up to the Priming. For example, when raw Prime was shooting up through the bowels of Earth, it gave us an idea of the cataclysmic scale of the phenomenon. It hit the Shaymak first and appears to be moving at an alarming rate.
On the surface, things are starting to bubble over. When the tribe is sitting around a campfire, the Prime shard’s presence may have been enough to activate the riot machine that had otherwise been dormant for thousands of years. It’s not visible, but one could assume that the shard was in Tanakh’s pocket or somewhere close to where they were sitting. Either way, the correlation between the two is feasible.
Another interesting pattern and Easter egg was the reaction of Earthen skin to the Prime shard.
On Page 4, we see Soleia completely entranced by the shard and how her skin markings glow with a silvery blue hue. During the battle with the riot unit, Gaffar’s markings also appear to illuminate in the presence of the shard. Lastly, you can see how Shoshanna reacts to the raw Prime beyond the horizon at the very end of the issue.
Speaking of Gaffar, I love how we got to witness one of his supernatural abilities. He single-handedly brought the woods to life, using vines and branches as a defense mechanism to pin down the massive machine.
We also saw some sweet Rug Poll action, the brazened Rhetorician, some beautiful Stewards of the Garden, a possible Tree of Nehemiah, Gaffar’s Peace Pipe, and even what appears to be a Kamuy Protector.
Credit to Shillbo Baggins, who noticed the three Shaymak leaders, which is the same number of cards you draw when Shaymak Stone Eyes is played in-game. The leaders also appear to be using an Earthen Terminal on Page 11.
To wrap things up, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the stellar intro video leading into the comic. How many of you noticed right away that you were inside the Sanctuary? I sure didn’t. I was too distracted by the allure of Earth in the background, viewing it through the glass panels as I descended to the Archives level. The only thing I kept thinking about was how great this experience would be in VR.
One last thing I want to praise is the overall scaling and sheer artistic quality of the panels. More specifically, the amount of text and the size of the speech bubbles never once overwhelmed any of the pages. This left plenty of room for the art, characters, movement, and various landscapes to breathe. This led to a more immersive and eye-pleasing experience as a whole.
Overall, I think Parallel succeeded in showcasing the Earthen faction while also introducing new fans to the main storyline. I’m already looking forward to Issue 2 and the next faction to be highlighted, as well as learning more about the lore leading up to the battle for Earth.