IDW Publishing 2020
Written by Ron Marz & David Rodiguez
Illustrated by Martin Coccolo
Coloured by Katrina Mae Hao
Lettered by Deron Bennett
Beset by beasts, Chiyoko attempts to lead her group to victory, but is undermined at every turn by those who think they’d be better suited to leadership. As the threats escalate, the question arises: who can Chiyoko trust?
I really am enjoying this a lot and that comes as no surprise after the first issue. The grouping of these diverse characters and how they interact with one another makes for some gripping reading. There is as much drama between the characters as there is in the mission they've been tasked to undertake. This makes the story more layered and complex feeling and that in and of itself is a huge unexpected bonus. This trend, well it's no longer a trend since it is an ongoing thing, of taking video games and making them into comics is a tricky business but when you have talented creators like these they make it look easy.
The onslaught they faced at the end of last issue is where we pick up here. There really is something about an epic battle in full swing to open up a book that sets the adrenaline pumping. There is no denying that this is what we want to see. It is also that chance to see how the team continues to be fractured and how this is going affect them moving forward. The story and plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well. The character development is unsurpassed in its execution. I mean there isn't a moment where the characterisation isn't being explored in some way shape or form. The pacing is sensational and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns and they are impressive, we get this amazing ebb & flow to the book.
This is why I keep saying even if it doesn't look like you on the surface if you know at least one creator involved and you like their work then get it and give it a proper go. There is a reason we follow creators instead of buying from the regular companies and expect something different. That and both IDW and Ron have proven time and time again they are more than worthy of being fans of.
The interiors here are interesting and while the overall look is great there are times I wish the linework was tightened up. For instance the fight scene has shapes for faces but no real detail in them and that's disappointing to me because when we see it done it's sensational. The creativity and imagination that we see here is phenomenal and then there is the utilisation of the backgrounds that we see. I love how they work within the composition in the panels to create the depth perception, scale and overall sense of size and scope. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a good eye for storytelling. The colour work blows me away and the gradation and bleeding that happens alongside some colour blocking really makes the work pop. The hues and tones within the colours utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is beautifully rendered.
I like this for so many reasons but among them is the fact that we learn about this region, their belief's and their deities or demons and this quest feels very Lord of the Rings. There is a feeling about this that's hard to explain but you'll know and understand it when you see it. It really is something that has to be experienced to appreciated and I gotta tell ya it is well worth the time spent here.