In Destiny’s Fate, a group known as the Defenders of the Fourth Dimension protects the time stream and fate itself, preserving it as it is meant to be, but another group, known as the Assassins, works to take back control of fate. Destiny’s Fate seems to center around a single family, the Ryders, some of whom belong to the Defenders and others to the Assassins. This first issue doesn’t provide a solid reason for the war between the two groups, which made me hesitate to root for Nile and his fellow assassins, who don’t have clear motivation for going through time killing certain figures.
The missing background elements aside, the actual premise itself is a lot of fun with a mix of sci-fi and fantasy conventions. The idea of skipping through and fighting in different periods of history is a great concept that will take this series far, if used right. Issue #1 already shows a willingness to use locations in time that aren’t often visited, such as different points in Japan’s history. Destiny’s Fate #1 is action packed, with a complete adventure of Nile and his companions while providing a solid foundation for the setting, some of the rules of time travel, and laying the ground work for the issues to follow. The pacing and dialogue are excellent with a relatable and funny narration provided by Nile.
The art is gorgeous with a style that feels like it belongs in a cartoon more than a comic, which gives it this great feeling of motion and really works for the action scenes. The settings and characters are beautifully rendered, and each time period look unique even if the changes are only subtle. This first issue focuses largely on traditional Japanese architecture, but I can’t wait to see how drastically different locations and times will be depicted. This issue uses a blue and purple color scheme to great effect making the setting look alien, while snippets of other times appear to favor a completely different color scheme. Everything from Kainoa’s blue hair to the night sky look fantastic.
For its art and action, Destiny’s Fate #1 is an incredibly strong first issue, but it will need more time to unfold its setting and invest readers in Nile’s struggle against the Defenders. Destiny’s Fate is a seven-issue miniseries designed to release one issue every two months. Destiny’s Fate currently has a Kickstarter to fund Issue #2 and part of Issue #3.