PRIMA APPARATA #1 (IGNITION PRESS)
I’m not entirely sure what I just read and I don’t necessarily mean that as a bad thing.
PRIMA APPARATA #1 By Olivia Dufault Rebekah Isaacs, Marissa Louise & Becca Carey (IGNITION PRESS) drops readers into a post-apocalyptic galaxy filled with augmented humans, ballet, and a world that feels both beautiful and completely foreign.
There is clearly a much larger story being built here, but this first issue gives us only pieces of the puzzle.
PRIMA APPARATA #1 By Olivia Dufault Rebekah Isaacs, Marissa Louise & Becca Carey (IGNITION PRESS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
What surprised me is that I never found the book confusing. I was able to follow what was happening from page to page. I just didn’t understand why it was happening or how we got here.
By the end of the issue, I had a lot of questions. Why is this world the way it is? What exactly are the enhancements? What are the true stakes? Why is the ballet so important? And what exactly are we building toward? Unfortunately, I don’t think the first issue does enough to even start to answer those questions.
MORE FROM IGNTION PRESS!
That said, I was genuinely intrigued. The book kept me engaged all the way through, and visually, Prima Apparatus is stunning. The scene where the main character is physically rebuilt is easily one of the issue’s visual highlights, with Isaacs giving the process an almost haunting beauty. The world itself is equally striking—a post-apocalyptic setting that somehow feels elegant and beautiful despite everything that has been lost.
The biggest question for me is whether that intrigue is enough to bring me back for another issue. I’m interested in learning more about this world, but I don’t know yet if I’m invested enough in the characters or story to continue searching for the answers.
FINAL GRADE: 7
Prima Apparatus #1 is an ambitious and visually striking beginning that clearly has a much bigger story to tell. I’m just not sure the first chapter gives us enough reason to stick around for it.
Let me know your thoughts on Prima Apparatus #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!