The average comic fan is probably going to be a little frustrated with this issue, which will be their loss. While the story only inches forward slightly, there’s two pretty big reveals in the issue. In my last review I said that the story was developing very much like an anime and I may have been on to something there. This issue helps prove the formula though as we just hang out with our characters. We learn about them and get to see them just hang out. Granted there has been a lot of hanging out, but when you’re just waiting for Necromancers to pop up, what else is there to do? The hanging out is justified because it’s more believable than the crew fighting Necros 24/7. We finally learn a lot about the antagonists of the story and what part of their goal is. It’s a spoiler heavy scene so I’ll skip going over it, but pay close attention. After that we find James in a battle with a Necromancer and he’s struggling a bit as his talent is defensive. Hugin steps in and helps, but even he’s a little overwhelmed. James wastes no time in summoning Bernie to help, but the Necromancer states some rule that prevents her from touching him because of his low grade. It’s interesting and explains the rules, but then she’s just there as a distraction while James and Hugin finish him off.
They travel back to the house and Mia and her father are there. James and Mia instantly begin playing video games and you can tell that they’re just cute friends. Since they both live abnormal lives, they only have each other to be normal around. Bernie is not thrilled by Mia’s father being there. They have bad blood between them, but he wants to talk to her about the threat of the Pale Court. Bernie shows that she’s a stubborn character as she refuses to listen and brushes off everything Mia’s dad says. It’s sad because clearly this will play into the next chapter and it’s likely to cause someone to lose their life.
Creator Stjepan Sejic continues to plot an interesting story and is making sure that the world and more importantly that the characters are built up properly. There’s a big battle brewing and there’s sure to be casualties, but what good are casualties if you don’t care about the characters. By now you should feel like a part of the household.
Sejic continues to deliver strong writing and art. There’s a lot of dialogue, but he also tells just as much of the story with the artwork. There’s no scene that highlights this better than the opening with the antagonists. In typical bad guy form, there are two sides working two different angles. What’s interesting about the art though is the body language and the facial expressions in response to the dialogue. Let’s just say that sometimes what the characters are saying and how they’re acting are very different. It’s intentional that way and adds a lot of realism to the story.
I can’t wait for the next issue. I don’t know how long this story is going to run for, but I love it. It’s quickly become one of my favorite series and it amazes me how easily Sejic was able to adapt the manga/anime formula for Western comic books and make it work! Take note industry, this is exactly how you do it.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Stjepan Sejic Publisher: Image/Top Cow Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/8/14 Format: Print/Digital