Top Cow/Image Comics 2015
Written by Tini Howard
Illustrated by Phillip Sevy
Coloured by Jeremy Colwell
Well now true to their heritage the Gods like their Earthly pleasures and it seems that Poseidon is no different as we open the book with him in bed with a woman and what looks like a version of himself. That must have been quite a threesome going on before the afterward talk.
While he has a kingdom full of different types of people Poseidon surrounds himself with guards who are basically versions of him only more robotic in nature. Legs that turn into mermaid tails that patrol the seas around them. While basking in the chantings of his citizens his kingdom is attacked by a monstrous sea creature. His guard attacks it but it doesn’t seem to phased by them at all.
Heading to see his brother Apollo IX in New Apollonia a new theory and solution is found. The two come to an understanding and a plan is enacted. As Poseidon and his guard face off against this Titan we get to see Phillip’s imagination come to life in such a vigorous and monstrous way. This creature truly is terrifying and would be make any Sea Horror Movie goer proud to be thrilled and scared by it.
The solution that the two come up with pretty much works though it’s the ramifications of what this beast represents that’s truly more horrific than the beast itself.
Tini does this absolutely wonderful job in depicting Poseidon and his personality. It’s different yet familiar and his thought process goes from extreme to extreme with too much ease. It’s almost as if being who he is has made him completely mentally unstable. This kind of characterization and how it differs from Aphrodite IX and the other siblings really makes him stand out. There’s no doubt in my mind he’s self absorbed and thinks too highly of himself but the opposite, that he’s a scared child unsure of how to really command and lead is also present. The warring sides of his personality make him come across as unstable and less intelligent than the others.
From what we’ve seen of his siblings thus far it isn’t hard to see that Poseidon could be easily persuaded to be one side or the other at any given time. Even with his knowledge of this Titan and what it can do he doesn’t come across as aggressive or as passive as the others. This middle of the road feeling I get from him makes him more of a valuable player to the others looking for backing in their power plays.
I love the implications here. That we get these one shots that flesh them out one by one and getting to determine where we think they fall and ultimately where they will while that may two different things is what keeps readers coming back for more.
Phillip and Jeremy do a fantastic job on the interiors here too. With the guard being versions of himself and keeping them all straight and differentiating Poseidon himself is no easy task but they do it almost effortlessly. The technology and the old world feel of Tritonis is a beautifully done blend. That the near naked form of Poseidon is seen so much is also great eye candy for a large number of readers.
Top Cow/Image has done a great thing in expanding Aphrodite’s siblings universe allowing us to see and learn more. Really fleshing out this new era in which they rule. This is how you make a complete society run by many different factions and ensure the reader is never bored and craves more!