“Pearl of Pandaria” is the latest World of Warcraft graphic novel from DC Comics, and the first to bring pandaren lore to readers. A coffeetable-style hardback, written by Mickey Neilson and illustrated by Sean “Cheeks” Galloway, “Pearl of Pandaria” tells the story of young Li Li Stormstout and her quest to find her uncle, Chen Stormstout.
The story starts in the distant past, and we learn the story of Liu Lang, a pandaren who yearned to explore the world. This is also the origin story of the Wandering Isle, but just in case some of those reading this review have not yet played the pandaren starting zone, or don’t otherwise know the secret of the Isle, I won’t go into further detail. I feel that opening with this gives the book a strong start, and we learn more about this proud and noble race.
The focus shifts, and we see that Li Li has been reading this tale, as found in her uncle Chen’s letters. Despite her father Chon Po’s best intentions, Li Li is simply too much like her uncle, and she is drawn to the Traveler’s Path. She leaves the Isle in search of Chen, and the rest of the story follows her adventures through Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Chon Po sends pandaren martial arts master Bo to retrieve Li Li, but Bo is unsuccessful in convincing her to return home, so he stays to accompany and protect her. Along the way, they encounter many of the races of Azeroth, and are even hunted by some who are searching for the legendary Pearl of Pandaria artifact. The end? Well, you’ll have to read that for yourself, but there is both triumph and tragedy.
During their journey, Li Li learns more about Chen, particularly his adventures in the world, as they meet people who know Chen. My favorite part tells of Chen’s involvement in the origin of Brewfest. Personally, I really enjoy most of the in-game holidays, and I think it is particularly fitting that Chen would be linked to this one. Also, with this book releasing the same week that this year’s Brewfest starts, the timing is great.
While some have said that this book is only for children, I don’t agree. I believe that the story can be enjoyed by anyone who has an interest in the lore of World of Warcraft. Neilson has crafted a wonderful tale that adds to the immense lore of the game, and is genuinely accessible to all readers. Galloway’s art was wonderful, particularly the characters. I will admit that it is a bit more cartoonish in style than the game, but I don’t believe that makes it bad, just not necessarily the choice I would have made. I did like the fact that there were several pages of “behind the scenes” art in the back. I enjoy seeing early concept art for comics and it is interesting sometimes how the characters and landscapes can change during the process, and how the pages look during the different stages.
The only real criticism I have relates to the Pearl of Pandaria. The artifact is the reason that Rahjak and his cohorts are hunting for Li Li, but yet we never find out what the artifact actually is. It is nice that Chon Po sees his daughter as the true Pearl of Pandaria, but I felt a bit cheated to not learn more about the actual artifact.
I enjoyed this story. The tale interesting, the characters are engaging, and the art complements it nicely. It may not be perfect, but a fun read, and a good addition to World of Warcraft lore that will help us understand the pandaren race a bit better.
