Ablaze Publishing 2021
Written by Benjamin Von Eckartsberg
Illustrated by Thomas Von Kummant
Translated by Ianka Hahnenberger
Archer is exiled from Fort Apache. In front of all the inhabitants, Kingsten withdraws his right to seek refuge in any colony whatsoever. He is tattooed with a cross on his forehead, a mark that makes him an outlaw…and virtually guarantees his death by the reapers, having to live outside the walls of any safe haven.
Just the face that Benjamin can make me feel such intense emotions and feelings towards the characters in this book just goes to show the skill ad talent that he has. I keep if that were me…. So that I do this means i’ve connected with the story and that i’ve become invested in the lives of it’s characters. I love being swept up in their lives and how this feels like it’s some late teen early twenties soap opera in a unique setting. Also now that we’ve seen these Rippers they are a lot more prevalent in subsequent issues and I have to say that I like this. The more we see them the larger of a threat they make looming ahead of Fort Apache. The tension that this builds is palpable and it’s only a matter of time before these conniving adults finally get what is coming to them.
I am very much enjoying the way that this is being told. How the story & plot development constantly moves forward through how the sequence of events unfold alongside how the reader learns information is exceptionally well rendered. The character development that we see is absolutely phenomenal! The adults and their agendas really do make them out to be such incredible villains and that the kids all fall in line instead of rise up it all makes me wonder about what’s really going on here. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the current story it’s really difficult not to feel for Zack.
The way that this is structured and how the layers within the story continue to weave through what we see is really rather quite good. The interest and intrigue that this brings to the book is amazing and you can just see Zack’s wheel’s turning at one point. That we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is fabulous.
The interiors here feel a little different this time around and the opening page where that old broad just looks different to me. Then we get to page with the tree and the posters and that is completely and utterly amazing to behold. I am also extremely impressed with the way backgrounds are incorporated within the panels to create 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 an amazing eye for storytelling. The colour work is beautifully rendered as well. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is stunning work.
This is why I love Ablaze Publishing as they bring some of the best of Europe’s comics storytelling. I really have to say that there is something great about the concept here and how it’s being executed that showcases just how strong the talent of these creators really are. That it can bring out the passion and strong feelings from the reader as they do is such a great testament to how good this truly is. With strong, smart and intelligent writing and some excellent interior artwork this would be a great addition to anyone’s regular reading list.