Titan Comics 2018
Written by Jeremy Whitley
Illustrated by Rhoald Marcellius
Coloured by Sakti Yuwono
Lettered by Jaka Ady
Brimming with drama, doubloons and untold skulduggery, the Sea of Thieves is a strange and treacherous stretch of ocean where swarthy scallywags the world over flock to test their might and mettle. Join us on a tale of danger and discovery as we follow the legend of two of the hardiest crews ever to brave its turbulent waters. Who will be the first to claim the treasure that awaits them... and who will be the first to walk the plank?
Nowadays it’s hard enough to do an adventuring book without it feeling like a Dungeons & Dragons adventure and ya know I am totally okay with that because it makes me want to play, then add in pirates and you have Captain Jack Sparrow and company to contend with. So to create a world where both franchises can coexist and entertain without feeling it’s stealing from either one is utterly fantastic. It has all the charm and charisma that the sea entices out of us and the action, adventure and fighting that makes RPG’s so popular.
Jeremy does this superb job with the way this book is structured and it’s ebb & flow that feels so natural and effortless. It is clear to me that Jeremy took care to get certain aspects right and kind of guesstimating the rest while infusing his own brand of what eh wanted to see. It really is well done as it entertains and mesmerises readers through the characters actions. Which by the way are tied into the characterisation and that he can weave them together so effectively (actions, thoughts, dialogue) helps the reader connect with the characters that much more.
Rhoald does some really nice work on the interiors here along with Sakti on this book. It has the all-ages feel to it but with much more attention to detail and the linework has a more sophisticated way about it. There is a feeling you get looking at the pages and the grace of the women and variety of men all have distinct personalities seen in how we see them. The way he utilises the page layout and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a really nice eye for storytelling. That we also see him use backgrounds to their fullest and help us understand and get into this world yeah thoroughly impressed.
When we opened up this book I had initially thought that this was going to be a girl oriented story it just felt that way. I mean the focus was leading that way but I am glad that it’s really a good mix of gender here. Also there’s really nothing like a sibling rivalry especially when said siblings hate each other. We are with DeMarco because his sister is too much like Sparrow and she’s a nasty piece of work though underhanded and sneaky with a mean streak that would make a Black Mamba flee. So what does that mean, it means we like her and like to hate her.
The characterisation here is beyond superb. The way that Jeremy is weaving who they are through the storytelling is fantastic! I think that while mele was trying to be a bard and her shipmate/friend, Alessia, was cutting purses we got a darn good look at who they are. DeMarco and Rin however theyu are more of a mystery and the way we see it told it’s one that we want to solve. During their conversations we a get a bit of how they met and why she’s still with him but his flamboyancy and her anger issues well what causes those and why they work well together that needs exploring.
A fresh, fun and unique look into the pirate’s life (for me). With a solid premise, great characters and wonderful interiors this is going to be to look out for!