All I want to do… is see them turn into… a giant woman (a giant woman!). All I want to be is someone who gets to see: a giant woman. And that’s exactly what we get in “Fusion Frenzy,” a comic filled with short stories looking at some of the various gem fusions in Steven Universe.
Which may include some spoilers for the cartoon for anyone not caught up.
Written by Anthony Oliveira, Jy Yang, Sarah Gailey, Nicole Andelfinger and Steve Foxe
Illustrated by Mollie Rose, Xiao Tong Kong, Ver, Doki Rosi, and Maurizia Rubino
Colored by Cristina Rose Chua and Jamie Loughran
Lettered by Mike Fiorentino and DC HopkinsIt’s time for the fusions to shine in this 40-page special! The fan favorite Steven Universe fusions get the spotlight as Stevonnie, Garnet, Smoky Quartz, Opal, and Sugilite take Beach City on in five fantastic tales!
Fusions have been many things in Steven Universe. They’re the manifestations of the bonds between gems (and a half-gem and human in the case of Stevonnie), whether those bonds are romantic, familial, or friendship. So a comic that explores these bonds and the gem fusions that come from them provides us with some good character moments and stories exploring the themes of the show.
Each of the five parts has a different creative team, so the stories and styles will vary greatly. But each team works well together, with the artist complementing the writer’s tone and style and the colorists blending with the art nicely.
The first story, “When the Light Breaks,” is written by Anthony Oliveira and illustrated/colored by Ver. Steven Universe is highly acclaimed for its LGBT+ representation, whether presented metaphorically (the Diamonds referring to Steven as “Pink Diamond” to represent deadnaming until they finally accept him as he is) or literally (Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding). This chapter works off of those themes, bringing the characters to a Beach City equivalent of a Pride Parade – in this case, the flags may read “Keep Beach City Weird,” but the symbolism works.
It’s properly colorful, with artist Ver providing a plethora of designs showcasing the characters in rainbow and star-patterned attire. The bright designs make it visually engaging, but there’s also some clever panel layouts. One noteworthy moment features Steven diving into Lion’s mane in one panel, then emerging from Lars’s pink hair on the next; the way the panels are placed, one above the other, keeps Steven’s body aligned as he goes through the hair portal, even flipping the lower panel upside-down to keep both oriented with his body.
The second story, “The Gauntlet,” looks at Garnet and what it was like for her after Ruby and Sapphire first fused into her. Written by Jy Yang and illustrated by Doki Rosi, it gives us another look at the days of the Gem War and Garnet learning about her abilities. Garnet has always been the “cool, in-command” type of character, but the flashbacks give us a more vulnerable Garnet, learning who and what she is. It’s a good look into the past of the character and a pivotal moment in her existence.
What makes this story stand out is Doki Rosi’s artwork. When it shifts from the cartoon style imitating the show, we get a more stylistic design, made from connecting geometric shapes and solid colors. The colors utilize shades of white, pink, and blue, creating a dream-like atmosphere to the flashback. The addition of darker colors during Garnet’s moment of uncertainty adds to the mood, casting a nightmare-like shadow into the dream-esque scape. But the moment where she first calls out her weapons is almost a mix of stained glass and a magical girl transformation sequence, creating the perfect symbolism for the character.
The third story, “The Art of Friendship,” focuses on Smoky Quartz. Written by Steve Foxe, illustrated by Xiao Tong Kong, and colored by Cristina Rose Chua, it changes the perspective a little by looking at how humans unfamiliar with fusion view and react to gem fusions made from people (or gems) they know. The artwork here is most like a typical comic book, drawing back from the cartoon style the rest of the comic aligns with for a more detailed and action-filled design. It adapts the characters to the style nicely, adjusting their shapes just a little to add more details and realistic proportions while still remaining true to their designs. Out of all the stories, its the artwork in this one I can see most fitting into any given superhero comic, which is fitting considering Amethyst’s character.
Continued belowHowever, the story is only partially about Amethyst, or rather, to say it’s about her would be doing a disservice to its main theme. One of the interesting things about gem fusions is how they become their own person. Whereas fusions such as those in Dragon Ball Z are simply an amalgamation of the two characters (Goten + Trunks = Gotenks), gem fusions have a sense of self and identity all their own. We explore that with Smoky Quartz here; she’s not Amethyst, nor is she Steven, yet they’re both a part of her. We see that identity in play as she spends time with Vidalia, who isn’t familiar with how fusion works and still thinks of Smoky Quartz as Amethyst. We see the obvious discomfort it causes in play as Vidalia continues to view SQ as only a part of who she is, failing to understand the different identities that fusions have. It gives us a new look at how gem fusions are viewed, as well as how they view themselves, adding a new layer to who and what fusions are.
“Winging It,” the fourth story, focuses on Amethyst and Pearl, who fuse into Opal. It’s written by Nicole Andelfinger, with illustrations by Mollie Rose and colors by Jamie Loughran. This one is a more straightforward story – Pearl and Amethyst need to defeat a corrupted gem, but they can’t do it on their own, so they fuse into Opal for it. While there’s not much past the surface level there, it’s still a good character moment as they work together and get along a little better.
Mollie Rose’s art adds her own take to the shapes and styles of the world, while still maintaining the main shapes and proportions of the show’s character designs. The style works particularly well for Opal, using the size of the panels to illustrate her enormity, while the art can carry the action without needing dialogue. While it may not be the most noteworthy story, it’s still a fun little take on two fan-favorite characters.
The last story, “An Overdue Conversation,” is centered around Sugilite, the fusion of Garnet and Amethyst. The story is written by Sarah Gailey and illustrated by Maurizia Rubino. Sugilite’s first appearance had her running berserk, making her something of a wild card; powerful, but unpredictable. The damage she caused in the show had effects on the characters and their choices long after her one appearance. As such, this story gives us a look at the gems who create her and the experience of being Sugilite – what’s it like when both strength and poor impulse control are combined and amplified, and how can it be controlled? It plays out in a conversation, friends and partners opening themselves up to each other; the actual action and power of Sugilite is secondary to the emotional connections and the bonds of the characters.
Maurizia Rubino’s artwork is perhaps the most identical to the show, utilizing the same character designs and color pallets. While it does have its own distinguishing features, primarily coming through in certain shapes in the characters’ features, it tends to follow the form closely enough that it’s easy to see the action move from panel to panel as though it were in an actual episode. The design of the giant corrupted gem is also a neat take – something akin to a giant cyclops and yeti mix.
While each story in “Steven Universe: Fusion Frenzy” has its own charms, together they create an entertaining anthology of stories. Each one provides a different look at the characters of the show, giving us more depth and showcasing the fusions not just from a physical level of appearance and power, but with a more internal, emotional look at what makes them tick.
Final Verdict: 7.1 – An entertaining anthology that shines a spotlight on one of the most interesting aspects of Steven Universe and the characters behind them. Also with a fine serving of representation, which is always welcome.
