Stonebot Comics/Red5 Comics 2021
Written & Illustrated by Salvador Sanz
Coloured by Ezequiel F. Roel
Translation by Dario Timarchi
Art Reconstruction by Camila Jorge
Revision by Leandro Paolini Somers & Chris Ortega
Lettered by Martin Casanova
Discover the true history Angela, how she learned to switch bodies and came to work for Dr. Sibelius. Angela Della Morte first appeared in the antology Bastion Unlimited and later in Fierro magazine. This story were those early chapters where we see Angela’s first mission and her first “death.” Originally published in black & white, these stories are being published in full colour for the first time.
I’m a huge fan of this character so that we see this being told, or reprinted here is fantastic to me. Though in all honesty I would’ve preferred to see them in their original black & white illustrations as Salvador is such an amazing artist that I think it might have been more powerful to see them as they originally were. I like that this is being done this way because its better than seeing a flashback or having to her origin retold at some point. So that we get to see how this was first told is truly a treat for everyone.
I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceedingly well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the narration, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter is utterly marvellous in how it portrays them as people. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, the characters and the harsh look at what is happening it really has this stellar impact upon the reader.
I like how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge, grow and evolve over the course of the chapters. The layers contain the good bits of storytelling, the characterisation and the plot twists that really captures the story’s heart and soul. They also bring us some excellent depth, dimension and complexity to the story as well. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is impeccably achieved.
The interiors here are bloody amazing. First I love that we open up and see a penis, leave it to the Europeans to be so blazé about male nudity. The linework is sensational and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level of detail work is truly astounding. That backgrounds are seen throughout the book brings me joy as they enhance the moments and work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling. It is easy to see how he started out with this and how he’s improved but the faces, facial expressions and body language are extraordinary and further the characterisation nicely.
I love seeing how this world got its start and how the techniques have evolved since the beginning. Though the interiors remain some of the most extraordinary imagery around it is nice to see how Angela started out as this loyal employee and person who you could say was naïve in so many ways. It is such a stark contrast to the woman I’ve come to know and it’s utterly delightful. With such strong writing and characterisation wrapped around such divine interiors this makes me excited for her next adventure.