Comic Review: RWBY #3 Yang: Part One Rebuilding

The Half-Sister of Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long whose life was drastically changed after the shit that went down at Beacon Academy during the events of Vol.3 in a now-infamous event called “The Fall of Beacon” is now recovering at home on the island of Patch, can Yang find a way to piece her life back together and how will helping around town benefit helping her in the process?

Our Take

Much like the previous chapters of the comic run, this is a series of retconned storylines within RWBY. In this issue, we are introduced to an old woman named “Madame Mallari” in need of Yang’s Aid for a series of oddly-specific chores, and boy does it sound like a herculean task for somebody who only has one arm to work with.

Strangely enough, the island of “Patch” which is their homeland never fully fleshed itself out as having more than just Ruby & Yang’s family as the way the show depicts it makes it sound like they live in an island by themselves but thankfully that isn’t the case. Upon finding out that Mallari is a healer, Yang is under the assumption that she could restore what was lost from her being, only for Mallari instead to give Yang some proper wisdom instead that on a psychological level, only she can help and treat and care for herself properly but it takes time and patience to come to terms with those changes and even reveals something about herself that’s also interesting to Yang in the process.

Overall the joint-efforts of writer Marguerite Bennette, Artist Mirka Andolfo and Colorist Arif Prianto, continue to hit their stride but this time with a different character considering the last two chapters was Ruby Rose-focused. At its core, it was a decent story that delves into the trials and tribulations of overcoming disability with, motivation, ingenuity, and skill. which can be inspirational to some, but if poorly executed, cliche and bland to others. I kinda saw the twist coming a mile away considering that within later volumes in the story (along with released promotional material), Yang eventually gets a robotic Winter Soldier-like arm that accommodates her Semblance powers yet the proceedings of Vol.4 are what motivate her to actually put the arm to use. With the way the chapter ends, I’m looking forward to what Yang-focused story they’re going to tell next and I’m glad to be along for the ride.