By Sam King

Reborn takes the question of what happens after we die and turns it into a fantasy adventure full of monster killing and the promise of a better future. The artwork is top notch and the pace is largely optimal for the story being told. This is also a complete story, beginning to end, so this volume will not leave you waiting to see what happens which is a nice plus. There are a few convenience issues, but we will get to that.

From the author of Kick-Ass and Secret Service, Reborn tells a new Millarworld story that plays with the age-old question of what happens after we die. Bonnie is 78 years old and incredibly depressed. She has been a widow for a long time and lost her parents tragically for separate reasons. She had a daughter and a granddaughter and she is afraid to die. When she suffers a stroke, she passes on and wakes up in Adystria, a land where people live after death if they were good. If they were bad they live in the evil side of the new world and look like monsters. The catch is, Bonnie is 25 again and prophesied to be the hero of Adystria who will eventually kill the evil monster lord, Golgotha.

This story was incredible. I really liked Bonnie. Sometimes her goodness may be a bit much for some people to take, because really, who could be THAT good? I liked it though. I thought she had a lot of strength and grace given the way her world and life are flipped upside down. The story moved very consistently and got to the point of things very quickly. In some spots, the plot moved a bit too quickly and resolved fairly fast compared to what I would have most liked. However, given the length of the series and the span covered, I’d say it was managed rather well. A lot happened in a short span and I was very happy. I am still questioning the ability for Bonnie to instinctually know how to fight and pick it up very quickly though. It seems like the whole story takes place over just a rather brief period of time. Although it may have taken the characters weeks to traverse the land from one major point to another, it really feels like only a couple of days pass. Going from some parts of Adystria to the Dark Lands seemingly takes only a few hours, if that. This seemed a little too convenient overall, especially alongside Bonnie’s rapid adjustment to Adystrian qualities of living and strength. This is especially questionable when it is revealed that people have waited “forever” to be saved from the menace that is Golgotha. This is an indefinite time and time seems to work very peculiarly in Adystria. To have things move and resolve so quickly seems almost deus ex machina-like. I understand that the presence of a prophesied hero can speed up attacks from villains, but this seemed a bit much. There were also some relationship points that I thought were resolved much too quickly, making me question just HOW good Bonnie is. I’m sure lots of people are very understanding of changed scenarios, but this one was pushing my believability meter just a bit. I do have some personal justifications possible to spitball if anyone cares to inquire or discuss the story at greater length.

While reading this volume, a lot of things go by fast and it wasn’t until a while after I’d finished and was considering my review that I began to fully notice some of the things I’ve mentioned (ex: quickly gained abilities, time differences). On that note, I still feel like this one deserves more than a three, because of the enjoyment I garnered from it and the epic amount of story being provided. The story is no less enjoyable because of the abovementioned details; they were just something to ponder over. This is labeled book 1, so I’m curious to know if there will be a book 2. In which case, who knows? Maybe some of these issues will resurface as part of new conflict and will have to actually be addressed WITHIN the story, in new ways that will explain more. The art is stellar. I expected no less from Greg Capullo considering his work on Batman. Every artist involved did an exceptional job on this work. Each panel is very clean and crisp and each selected color scheme accurately depicts the atmosphere of the location Bonnie is in. It is easy to tell when Bonnie is in Adystria versus the Dark Lands through the art.

This book is engrossing and enjoyable. While there is a lot of bloodshed, there is also an equal, and sometimes greater, amount of hope. Each piece felt relevant to the story overall, although the pacing and convenience of certain plot components could have used some more work. The idea is really intriguing and the art is phenomenal. The characters are likable, relatable, and comprehensible as far as motives go. With just a few tweaks this title could have easily been a five, if it weren’t for that darn rapid progression and convenience factors. It is still worth checking out and I would definitely recommend it.

Score: 4/5

Reborn vol. 1
Image Comics