ComixTribe 2019
Written by Rich Douek
Coloured by Chris Sotomayor
Lettered by Taylor Esposito
If you thought the Wailing Blade was deadly, wait until you see the Wrack Hammer! Time runs short as the Bonebreaker arrives in Ordz, claiming her right to kill Auros, the bandit king. Can Tychon save his father from not one, but TWO executioners? It's time for a knock-down, drag-out fight between two of the deadliest weapons in the universe!
This is such a good book and I am glad that I finally have the chance to sit down to read and review this issue. I love ComixTribe and how they dare to be different with not only the option, see genres, but the diversity that we see in their books. I love that this is both serious and poking fun at some of what we've seen in comics over the years, that sword for example. I love that it has elements of Thundarr the Barbarian with some added technology, see science that appears like magic, to just a little extra punch. This has so many different elements to it and how it's told has this classic feeling to it that resonates with readers.
I love the way that this is being told. How see the story & plot development through the sequence of events unfolding as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well. That we really do a lot of learning alongside the characters is something I appreciate as it helps us become more of the story by not knowing ahead of them. The character development is phenomenal and over the course of the arc thus far we keep seeing them grow and evolve and become who they are most likely meant to be, until the next event they face. The pacing is superb and the way that we see it take us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way as it helps create the books ebb & flow is fantastic. The way this is structured and how Rich is able to tell this story adding layer sand sub-plots along the way not only keeps the readers' mind engaged but it also showcases some mighty fine talent as well.
There is a unique blending or mix of genres that we see here and it really does make the mind work overtime trying to pigeon hole into something other than what it is. It is unique, without like, equal or parallel. This is a sensational title that is being told extremely well and for me at least this comes at no surprise since it is from ComixTribe.
I am rather enjoying the interior artwork here. The linework is great and how we see the varying weights utilised to bring us the attention to detail that we see is well rendered. Joe's style here is really well utilised in how we see the characters and how they come to life. There is this almost caricature element to what we see with these exaggerated faces and features that makes this a lot more happy feeling than it is. Personally I would like to see more utilisation of backgrounds, because when we do see them they do wonders in creating depth perception, scale and this all around sense of size and scope to the book. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong, talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is fabulous and I am a fan of the way that the fire casts light and shadows is beautifully done. I like how we see the hues and tones within the colours utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work. It shows some really good understanding of how colour works and how it should work.
The characters we see and meet and watch continually grow and change with each turn of the page is what I love the most here. Folks do not trust one another and for good reason, however, I think the blade itself is changing Tychon and I am looking forward to seeing how this plays out for us. This is a strong, interesting and engaging book and I want this to last for years.