Suitor Armor, Vol. 1 by Purpah

Okay, this might be the best of the covers Ten Speed Graphic has picked for its books recently but even this one barely hints at the charm of what lies inside, IMO.

Suitor Armor is the tale of a young lady-in-waiting named Lucia, who’s been the companion and best friend of the king’s betrothed, Kirsi, ever since they were little girls. Unbeknownst to almost everyone — I’m still not 100% certain even Kirsi knows, tho I can’t see how she doesn’t — Lucia is actually a fairy, who’s grown up hiding her identity ever since Kirsi’s human dad brought her to live with his family.

Now that Kirsi is grown up, she and Lucia live in King Reimund’s castle, preparing for Kirsi’s wedding. Kirsi doesn’t really know how to relate to her fiance, so perhaps drinks too much in order to while away the hours. She blames her fiance’s preoccupation with the human-fairy war for their awkward relationship, tho she tries her best to show an interest in the jousts and hunts he throws to amuse the court. At the latest tournament, his court mage Norrix unveils an enchanted suit of armor, to the chagrin of Reimund’s human champion, Sir Baynard. The animated armor has a fearsome, even demonic aspect but Lucia finds herself strangely drawn to the mechanical warrior. Soon, she finds herself learning more about him and how he was made, even as a fairy infiltrates the castle and makes life even more perilous for her than before.

There is a lot of rising action in this first graphic novel of the series but that’s okay, because the charm and humor of Purpah’s wonderfully expressive art make every page worth savoring. Just as much is delivered by the wordless panels as by the speech bubbles. It’s clear that the creator has a background in animation, so flawless are the beats and flow.

I also loved how Purpah eschewed all the easy tropes to create a story with real potential for depth here. Kirsi and Lucia have a terrific friendship, and Lucia’s ability to befriend almost anyone despite her secrets is both delightful and convincingly depicted (and reminds me of meeeee!) While this book does collect the first seventeen chapters of the series, it all very much feels like the foundation to upcoming conflict, which I can’t wait to experience. Ten Speed Graphics consistently picks winners from WebToon to bring to physical life, and Suitor Armor is only the latest in a line of terrific books I’m excited to read more of!

Suitor Armor, Vol. 1 by Purpah was published November 12 2024 by Ten Speed Graphics and is available from all good booksellers, including