Broken Frontier

Roza and the Horse Prince is a rising star in webcomics, and it’s easy to see why. Kelly Hamilton’s fantasy comic is as gorgeous and seamlessly illustrated as a big budget animated feature from the likes of Disney or Warner Bros. The artistic flare isn’t the only thing the webcomic has in common with the animation giants – it also shares the warmth and humor we’ve come to expect from these brand names.

The title heroine, Roza, is an intrepid but troublesome girl with a strange curse which apparently causes her spilled blood to burst into magical flame and lurid shapes. She seeks the help of a captive prince transformed into a white stallion, but as she finds out, the eponymous horse prince isn’t exactly co-operative. Eventually gaining the Horse Prince’s favor, Roza sets on a quest to remove her curse.

As previously mentioned, the art styling is extremely effective in conveying the fantastic world of gypsies, giants and mages which Hamilton has created. In addition, the characters are exceptionally well-designed, with every look succeeding in saying words upon words about their character. We can clearly see that Roza is a spunky young girl who won’t take “no” for an answer just as clearly as we can tell the horse prince Aryon is gallant and defiant – and neither in a good way.

Typically, the webcomic updates as full-page five-panel comics, and though this usually works well to tell the story, at times the story feels a bit rushed. Like when Aryon does battle with the giant brute Chimaera, the last panels of the fight seem too small to convey the massive scale of the conflict. The Horse Prince is also conspicuously absent in the latest round of adventures, as Roza and her randomly adorable sidekick Nic have headed off on separate paths from the (clearly frustrating) Horse Prince. Hopefully we’ll see more development in the titular Horse Prince as the storyline continues.

Overall, Roza and the Horse Prince is a great tale for anyone looking for a clever and exciting fantasy to read. It just might be the wildest ride yet in fantasy webcomics.