Hammer/Titan Comics 2017
Written by Dan Abnett
Illustrated by Tom Mandrake
Coloured by Sian Mandrake
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Before Kronos could return with his information, he was forced to take shelter in an abandoned church, which Kronos discovered was also the home and inner sanctum of Slake himself…
I am really enjoying this, there’s a whole thing about this that embraces both the campiness and honest realism that the original source material had. It has the best blend of both worlds and it’s clear, at least to me, that Dan has a soft spot for the character and it translates to how he tells this story. There is a classic kind of adventuring feel, which to me means Dungeons & Dragons, and Kronos is a loner stuck in a trio which both complicates and simplifies his life.
I like the fact that Kronos has found himself on the wrong side of town, the side that is overrun by the undead. Also that he now finds himself face to face with the very creature he is here to kill, Slake. Now the real fun begins because Kronos has to find a way to both kill the creature and survive the encounter.
This is where Tom really gets to shine too. All these pages of fighting where their dance is just as much choreography as it is fighting and it looks spectacular! His use of page layouts through their angles, perspective and how he utilises the backgrounds not only show off his great eye for storytelling but he manages to convey so much more of the story than with mere words. I think the style that here is beautifully matched for the subject matter. Plus the Wild Wild West feel of the wagon and it’s contents make for a wonderful visual addition to what is already expected.
Dan’s storytelling here is wonderful as the ebb & flow of the book is structured to near perfection. I like how the characterisation helps to drive the story forward as it also serves to keep us in the know to how they think and feel. It is like the characters, their way of life and how they react is what makes the story what it is and that’s something exciting to see unfold. There is nothing here that makes this feel artificial or out of character when it’s happening.
Sure Eastern Europe in the mid 17th Century would be full of vampires and things that go bump in the night, that’s what the lore and legend tell us after all. It is also a time where science was growing and magic waning so the world was vastly changing and we see how dan incorporates that here. Of course there is Carla too who is seen more as a maid or wench rather than something or something to be taken seriously fits perfectly within the era. Yeah she’s smart, capable and has a mouth on her and she’s nobody’s fool but there is perhaps a little bit too much fire in her and that could be a problem. It really is all part of her characterisation and the storytelling.
I love this it takes the past brings it back to life and not only gives us the thrills and chills but entertains the heck out of us at the same time. It isn’t easy to make the legends come back to life and make it seem natural and not silly so what Dan and Tom are doing here is the kind of stuff we live for. It makes this all seem natural and possibly could have unfolded this way.
With strong writing and wonderful interior artwork it’s no wonder why I think Hammer through Titan has the right idea in bringing us his further adventures.