Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 1

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 1

May 1983

The Birthright

by Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Ernie Colón, John Costanza, Tom Ziuko, Karen Berger, Dave Manak

Amy Winston’s life changes forever on her thirteenth birthday. She receives a gemstone as a gift and is kidnapped by an ogre who takes her through a dimensional portal to Gemworld. She magically transforms from Amy Winston into Amethyst when she arrives in Gemworld.

Amethyst escapes from the ogres and Sardonyx, their human boss, with the help of Granch. He takes her to Citrina, the faithful servant of Amethyst’s parents. Citrina whisks Amethyst away to Castle Amethyst while Granch stays behind to deal with the Death Hounds that have picked up on their scent.

Citrina helps Amethyst get her bearings. She explains that before she was Amy Winston she was Princess Amethyst. She tells her about how her parents, who fell in battle to Lord Opal, entrusted Citrina to look after her. She explains that time moves more slowly on Earth, which explains why she is thirteen years old on Earth but twenty years old in Gemworld.

Sardonyx attacks Castle Amethyst with the forces of his ruler, Lord Opal. Citrina and the troops of Castle Amethyst fight to defend Amethyst. It isn’t until Citrina is dealt a heavy blow and knocked out of the fight that Amethyst, with the guidance of Citrina, uses her magical abilities and repels the forces of Sardonyx and Lord Opal.

Amethyst is distraught after the fight and talks Citrina into letting her return home, to Earth. Amethyst transforms back into Amy Winston as she moves through the dimensional portal and sees her parents. They suspected that something was amiss but considerably less time has passed on Earth than in Gemworld.

Amy, later that night, uses the gemstone to open a portal and return to Gemworld. Amethyst arrives unaware that Lord Opal has sent another man to retrieve her.

Thoughts

This issue is packed with exposition and adventure.

There is no text piece or letters page in this issue.

This feels like the beginning of the story. I like it a little more than the preview issue. It isn’t clear to me when the preview issue takes place but it seems as though it must be some time after the events in this issue. I wonder if the preview issue was something that wasn’t originally planned and had to be thrown together at the last minute.

I really like the visual storytelling in this issue. There are a few splash pages and at least a few examples of non traditional panel layouts.

I’m feeling all in on this story but maybe I should give it a few issues before I make such a declaration.