Read if you like
- Kick-ass heroines
- Fun settings
- Incredible hair
Tigress Queen is one of my favorite webcomics of all time, and given how many I read, that is saying something. Wonderfully drawn, carefully thought-out, and excellently told, Tigress Queen is a story of clashing cultures, the effects of war, and two wildly different people pulled together for a proposed marriage that neither is enthusiastic about. Needless to say, this all makes for one hell of a good ride.
The Good
The story of Tigress Queen is at its core a story about very different people trying to find common ground. Two nations, the empire of Jaez and the tribal nation of Zuzumbar, have been at war for generations. Unexpectedly, the Emperor of Jaez sends envoys to Zuzumbar’s infamous Tigress Queen, and with them an offer for peace talks. But before long, both leaders find themselves at odds over their differing cultures and it soon becomes clear that the Emperor’s plan to marry his heir off to Zuzumbar’s fiery-haired warlord is not going to work out as planned. It might sound straightforward, but as a story of family bonds, culture clash, and plotters begins to play out, it becomes hard not to fall in love with the ensuing madness.
Centered on these two would-be ‘lovebirds’, Tigress Queen is a comic with many strengths. Character are fascinating and nuanced. Kizarasunga, the ‘Six-Feather’ of the Zuzumbar, is pure chaotic-good with a fiery temper and a fearless sense of humor. Jintu, heir to the throne of Jaez, is a lovesick young man caught between duty and his mild terror of the red-haired hellion he’s supposed to be seducing. The supporting cast is no less fun, with some stands out being Kizarasunga’s adopted brother Zusufula, a veritable mountain of a man with a heart of gold, and the fun-to-detest, scheming Jaez general, Miidro.
And then there’s the hair.
In all seriousness, I’m not sure it’s possible for Shaw to draw bad hair and while those fabulous flowing locks draw the eye most often, the rest of her character’s designs are equally visually pleasing. Major characters are highly distinct from each other, even those who are closely related, and their designs and body language convey their personalities as much if not more than what they say. This distinctness also extends to the world as a whole, with Shaw having a fine eye for details and setting. Each of the major cultural groups that appear are visually distinct with favored colors, clothing, and architecture that makes it clear that they are their own unique cultures, while at the same time never feeling excessively uniform in appearance.
This variety also extends to the actual cultures themselves. The Zizumbar people are tribal and at least somewhat less technologically advanced than the Jaez, but their nuanced spiritual beliefs and strong respect for personal relationships shows a deep wisdom that is at odds with their reputation as ‘savages.’ The Jaez, on the other hand, are more technologically advanced and arguably more successful as a nation, but also have clear social divides not too dissimilar from our own real-world issues of class and sexism. On the surface it sounds a bit like the old ‘noble savage’ and ‘decadent civilization’ matrix that is so overused and overly simplistic, but in practice Shaw has created two very different but nuanced cultures. While the Jaez characters do take the brunt of the blame in many ways when things go bad, their mistakes are generally more a result of ignorance than true malice and they have the disadvantage of being the ones actually trying to reach across the cultural divide. Ignorance is always unsightly, but the Jaez part of the cast are also the ones noticeably putting in the most effort to try and make peace.
The Zizumbar characters, on the other hand, do get off more scot-free as a general rule, but at the same time there are a lot fewer of them in the comic and Kizarasunga, while a wonderful character, is not a flawless protagonist. Despite having arrived in search of peace, she is at her core an impulsive and passionate person, in many ways ill-suited to the sort of negotiations she’s stumbled into. As she notes at the start of the comic, her rule is based on being able to kill anyone who challenges her, and while hardly a vicious individual, she is willing to resort to violence when pushed. In addition, her own backstory makes it clear that Zizumbar as a culture has it own flaws and that Shaw hasn’t just designed it as a faultless ideal meant to demonstrate the imperfections of the Jaez with their noticeably real-world issues. There is social commentary, but the world and its story stands on its own rather than serving purely as a vehicle for the comic’s themes.
The Bad
Given how much I love Tigress Queen, it’s a bit hard to find anything bad to say. That said, I’d be remiss to not at least try and find something to complain about, this being a review after all.
First, the limits of the world are not well explained. The setting of Tigress Queen is a fantastical world, but it’s unclear if it’s of the magical variety. There are elements here and there that suggest more than human forces, somewhat eldritch horses called thrrein with far too many teeth serve as mounts, but it’s never clear if they are simply quirks of evolution or magic. This extends beyond just magic though. There’s a lot about this world that we don’t know yet because it hasn’t become important to the plot. There is a reference page, but aside from a small map and a short glossary of terms, there’s not much explaining the rules of the world. It’s not an major problem, but with such a beautiful and vibrant world, it’s disappointing not to be able to learn more about it.
Beyond that, my only other complaint is that I don’t love all of the changes that have happened to the comic. This is the rebooted version of the comic. You can still find its first incarnation on the website as a PDF, and while the reboot has done wonders for the the art, I have to admit I miss bits and pieces of the original comic. The changes aren’t inherently bad; the story is still great, but if you’re coming back to Tigress Queen after a long time just be aware there are minor changes to the plot. All in all though, this is just me being nostalgic more than anything.
Conclusion
Read this comic. It is a wonderful addition to anyone’s reading list in terms of both story and art. While I hesitate to call any story truly perfect, Tigress Queen comes about as close as can be for me and in the process wins a solid five out of five stars. I’d also suggest taking a moment to check out Shaw’s other webcomic, Far to the North, which while currently on an indefinite hiatus is still worth a read.
Buried Under Books and Cats 