''SubZero'' is a fantasy

romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be c ...

created by artist Junepurrr. It follows the marriage between a princess and prince from rival clans arranged in order to end a war. It began publishing weekly on the

Webtoon Webtoons (), are a type of digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones. While webtoons were mostly unknown outside of Korea during their inception, there has been a surge in popularity internationally ...

platform in 2018. According to data from Webtoon, it had received 73 million views by the end of 2019. The comic won a fan

Ringo Award The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Ringo Awards, are prizes given for achievement in comic books. They are named in honor of artist Mike Wieringo and they were founded by the Reisterstown, Maryland-based Cards ...

in 2020 for Favorite Hero.

Publication

''SubZero'' is created by artist Junepurrr. It began publishing on the

platform in 2018, and started its second season in June 2021. It is published weekly, though had a hiatus between seasons.

Plot and themes

''SubZero'' is a fantasy romance that follows the marriage of the princess of the Azure Clan, Clove, and the rival prince of the Crimson Clan, Kyro, as they maneuver to end the war that has waged between their clans for centuries. The conflict between the two dragon clans is the backdrop for an "enemies-to-lovers" story between Princess Clove and Prince Kyro. The comic also delves into subplots of political intrigue and explores themes of betrayal, war, forgiveness, duty, and sacrifice. The plot begins with the Azure Dragon Princess Clove accepting the terms of a marriage with the rival clan's prince, Kyro, and effectively surrendering her freedom for the good of her clan. What begins as a begrudging union between the two develops into something more over the course of the series as they learn more about each other and their dedication to stopping the bloodshed between the two dragon clans.

Major characters

The following characters are central to plot lines in the comic and make regular appearances: *Clove is the princess of the Azure Clan and the last remaining person in her bloodline that carries the Azure Dragon. She has been sheltered most of life on an icebound and secluded island, and despite her heritage she has never been able to shift into a dragon. Although her upbringing was sheltered, she is portrayed as observant, diligent, commanding, and able to take advantage of the fact that people expect her to be naive. She is ultimately dedicated to ending the war between the two clans and has been shown to sacrifice her own well-being to achieve this goal. *Kyro is the prince of the Crimson Clan and initial enemy of Clove despite their engagement. He is initially portrayed as a ruthless general, however over time he is revealed to be just as dedicated to ending the war as Clove. He is able to shift into a red dragon, and there have been several instances where he has revealed himself to be a romantic person. Throughout the series he is depicted as having a cold and calculating exterior while harboring noble motives underneath.

Awards and reception

The comic won a fan favorite

in 2020 for Favorite Hero. According to data from Webtoon, ''SubZero'' had received 73 million views and was the platfom's 13th most popular comic. A reviewer for The Beat said in 2021 that "despite sometimes feeling pretty frustrated by the story, I am addicted to finding out the ending... Come for the dragons and angst, stay for the art and plot twists."

References

{{Webtoon (platform) Romance webcomics 2018 webcomic debuts Webtoons