Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld - a DC Graphic Novel

The character of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, first appeared in DC Comics back in 1983, in a special insert preview in Legion of Super-Heroes issue 298.  That preview told the story of a princess waging a battle against a dark overlord who was trying to take over all of her homeland, Gemworld.  But more than that, that special preview revealed that Amethyst was, in actuality, a barely-teen girl from Earth who traversed between the two worlds - living on Earth as a just-turned thirteen year old girl with regular problems, and living on Gemworld as a might princess with magical powers who just may be the only one who can stop the evil Dark Opal from taking over the land!  Written by Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn, with very distinctive art by Ernie Colon, that preview had me hooked, and I anxiously awaited each of the 12 issue maxi-series that followed.  After that twelfth issue, I was disappointed that the series had reached an end, as I wanted more stories of Amy/Amethyst.

Well, I apparently was not the only one, as shortly after the maxi-series ended, DC Comics published an Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld Annual in 1984, followed thereafter by an ongoing series.  Sadly, that series only lasted 16 issues, followed by a Special in 1986 that concluded the story.  The following year, DC gave fans a 4-issue follow-up mini-series that featured a very different Amethyst (and dropped from the title was the "Princess of Gemworld" tag).  This mini-series, though, was only the first of many changes that this character would see through the years.

Fifteen years after that mini-series, in 2012, DC brought the character back in a revival of the Sword of Sorcery title.  Once again, the character's appearance and her story were changed, as she was updated for the new century.  That series only lasted nine issues, and once again, Amethyst disappeared from the scene.  Seven years later, she popped back up in the newest incarnation of Young Justice, albeit with yet another new look and story.  At least this time, though, the writer gave a (flimsy) reason for why the character seemed to keep changing in appearance over the years.  She stayed with that series for all 20 issues, while simultaneously in 2020 starring in her own 6-issue mini-series.  Once both of those series came to an end, I thought so would Amethyst.

But nope, this is one character that clearly will not stay gone (for which I am grateful!).  In Fall 2021, DC Comics published a new tale of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld in their Graphic Novels for Kids line of comics.  I was a bit hesitant at first, looking at the art in the initial ads for the book, as it came across as a bit too childish perhaps.  But then I saw that the authors of the story were Shannon and Dean Hale, and so I immediately placed my order for a copy.  After all, the Hales turned out two truly fun-tastical Squirrel Girl books for Marvel, so I figured they would treat Amy a/k/a Amethyst with the proper respect, while still making it fun.  And I was right!

Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (2021) provides readers with yet another new take on the character.  This time around, Amaya (her real name in Gemworld) and her younger brother are playing practical jokes on the castle staff,  and when they are continually ignored by their parents, they decide to sneak into the treasury for Castle Amethyst - but their fun takes a wrong turn, and they end up not only damaging the castle, but also get poor Amaya sent to Earth (where there is no magic!) as a punishment.  Citrina, the chief mage, goes with Amaya, where they will assimilate into the Earth-life for one week before returning to Gemworld.  But, as fate would have it, the damage Amaya and her brother did to the amethyst powering the castle prevents the two of them from returning home!  Thus, they are stuck on Earth, with no magic, no powers, and no ability to get home!

Jump ahead three years, and Amy and her "Aunt Trina" no longer remember their life on Gemworld.  They have become fully immersed in their lives here on Earth, and Amy has even made friends at school.  Of course, she has enemies as well, and it is during a confrontation with two bullies that Amy and her friend, Autumn, get sucked into Gemworld, where the House of Amethyst has fallen, her parents and brother are missing, an interloper named Flaw is slowly doing damage to all of Gemworld, and the remaining eleven houses are in danger!  And who is the only one who can save Gemworld?  Why, Amethyst, of course!

Yes, some of the details have changed, and yes, the look for the characters is nothing like the original (no one can ever truly compare to Ernie Colon's original designs for the character); however, this story does stay true to the character - she is a young girl who has power thrust upon her, she is in awe of this Gemworld where she finds herself, and she has the determination and resilience to step up and save the 12 houses when all of the others are simply squabbling amongst themselves.  In this version, instead of taking someone from Gemworld to Earth, Amy brings someone from Earth to Gemworld - and reading Autumn's reaction to the magic of Gemworld and the fantastic things she sees there is thoroughly enjoyable! The inclusion of a young Topaz as Amy and Autumn's newfound friend on Gemworld, readers are treated to a trio of heroes who set out on an adventure of a lifetime to stop Flaw and save their homes.  Of course, the Hales provide another twist to the story when Amy/Amaya finds out exactly what happened to her parents and little brother!

While no story will ever truly measure up to the original Mishkin/Cohn/Colon story from 1983, I will say that this graphic novel is the probably the closest of any of the other incarnations to the fun and thrills of that original tale.  The art by Asiah Fulmore is definitely on the cartoon-y or almost manga side, but it fits for less-than-serious manner in which the story is told.  There truly is an almost "magical" feel to the story as you turn page after page, and I think that Fulmore captures the essence of the Hales' story in a way any other artist might not have been able to do.

Overall, the book was a success, and I wouldn't mind seeing more of them to find out what happens next with Amy and her friends!

RATING:  10 fountains of camel milk out of 10 for bringing Amethyst back into the comics and introducing her to a new generation of readers!