Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 11

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (1983) 11

Mar 1984

The Last Battle!

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

Carnelian doesn’t tell Dark Opal that he got his hands on the shard of amethyst. Dark Opal finds out and takes it from him. The Varn come for their pound of flesh. This time Dark Opal doesn’t have the time or bandwidth to deal with them so he lets them consume Sardonyx. 

Amethyst and her pals continue their assault on Dark Opal’s fortress. Prince Topaz convinces Lady Sapphire and Lady Topaz, his sister, to join the fight against Dark Opal. Lady Emerald’s vizier poisons her. She dies and her magic passes on to her eldest daughter.

Dark Opal, tired of the brand that Citrina inflicted on him, passes it on to Carnelian. Dark Opal gives the Amethyst shard to his smith which allows him to complete it. 

Amethyst and her allies break into Dark Opal’s fortress and find him waiting for them, wearing his newly completed breastplate. 

Thoughts

This chapter felt very fast and loose. The story could have used another issue or two to advance the plot as much as it advanced in this single issue.

There were at least two scenes that I found disturbing. First their was Sardonyx getting consumed by the emissaries of the Varn. Second was Lady Emerald getting poisoned by her righthand man. 

I don’t really understand the part about the brand that Dark Opal transferred to Carnelian. It goes back to the moment in the fourth issue when Dark Opal lost his hand. I thought he just lost his hand. This is the first I can remember anything about a brand that Citrina placed upon him. If she is the one who placed it then how is he able to transfer it. That seems a little too convenient.

The issue is stunning to look at but felt very rushed. Most of the pages in this issue have eight or more panels but none of them seem standard in the arrangement of the panels. There are two splash pages.

The most interesting moments in this issue take place within the walls of the fortress and involve not Amethyst but Dark Opal. 

Good issue but I’m glad I’m almost done with this series. 

Purple Prose

Nine letters of varying lengths are spread across two pages. Four of the letters are from women or teenage girls. One of the letters is from T.M. Maple.