Back of Book: 

“Who are you willing to damn for power?”

New to the walled merchant city of Blackbridge, Desmond Oakenhart wants to help people—a dream he thought to realize by joining the Blackbridge Guard until his underhanded family gets involved. Yet, before they can convince him to leave the Guard for good, Desmond lucks his way onto a major investigation thanks to a chance encounter with a mysterious arsonist.

Now under orders to work together to solve a string of murders, Desmond and the fiery vigilante Pasha follow the trail… but in a world where the divine is certain and infernal plots simmer, the trail might well lead to hell itself. 

Book Number: One 

Genre: Young Adult | Graphic Novel | Fantasy | Mystery 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A guard and an arsonist reluctantly team up to investigate a suspicious plot in this first volume of a brand new series that can be read online or on paper! 

Desmond Oakenhart has recently moved to the merchant city of Blackbridge as a newly accepted member of the Blackbridge Guard. Desperate to use his powers as one of the Blessed for good, Desmond is trying to prove to the guard that he has what it takes to protect the people of the realm. Unfortunately, his underhanded family can't keep their nose out of his business, and he finds himself stuck as his brother's personal bodyguard in one of the most suspicious areas of the city. After an unlikely meeting with an arsonist, he is assigned to work with them in order to solve a dangerous mystery. 

I want to give a quick shoutout to Memoh. Comics for hiring me to help promote this comic. I would never have heard of this one or gotten the chance to read it without their marketing efforts, so I applaud them for that. 

My favorite part of this comic is by far Desmond himself. He is a golden retriever kind of a guy; he's so sweet and loyal! I appreciate his dedication to serving his people and using his powers for good, but I feel that he might be in for a hard awakening when he comes to realize just how twisted the world can be. I admire his enthusiasm and the way he approaches things and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better in future installments. 

By the time this volume concludes, we've barely met the second main character, Pasha. She is quite a mysterious figure who also has magic and there is certainly much more than that meets the eye when it comes to her. I definitely want to learn more about her backstory and just what the opening sequences of this story actually signified. 

By the bonus images provided in the back of the book, I gleaned that this series is eventually going to shift into a romance, which has me excited. Though I didn't feel any immediate chemistry between Desmond and Pasha, I have faith that their relationship will go far and that I will find myself shipping them down the line. 

This installment is obviously the beginning of the series, and it spends the majority of its time laying down the foundation for future installments. Due to this, not a ton happens, but it certainly has me intrigued about what is to come. The world that this series is set in seems full of dangerous secrets and complicated magic, so I am super interested in seeing what else Memoh. Comics has in store for this series. 

I must say, I really like the character designs throughout this novel. I think Desmond's younger sister, Cat, has got to be my favorite, but honestly, Desmond's entire family kinda pops off design wise. Pasha also has a really neat vibe going, so count me a fan of the character art. 

Overall, the first volume of "Dominion" was a great introduction to a world brimming with magic and mystery. Desmond is such a sweet main character who has such a positive outlook on the world; it's hard not to smile when he's being so authentically pure. The art style is great with phenomenal character designs. This volume might not be the most action packed, but it certainly has me intrigued about what more this series has to offer. I will definitely be looking out for future installments of "Dominion"! 

Note: Web version can be read here: Dominion | WEBTOON