Nobrow Press presents Alexis Deacon’s latest endeavor, the first entry in a new fantasy trilogy. With an enormous cast of characters, some stunning sequential work, and overall confident storytelling, “Geis: A Matter of Life & Death” is nothing short of an achievement.
Written and Illustrated by Alexis Deacon
As the great chief matriarch lay dying, she gave one final decree: upon her death, there would be a contest. Having no heir of her own blood she called on the gods to decide the one truly worthy to rule in her place. The rich, the strong, the wise, the powerful; many put forward their names in hope of being chosen. But who will triumph, and how many will survive?
Before Alexis Deacon’s latest comic begins, there’s an epitaph introducing the concept of a geis. A geis is this type of curse which, of course, “cannot be broken” but also comes with a set of rules and stipulations. Ignoring these rules leads to dire, often severe consequences. A geis, the note continues, sets the accursed’s fate the moment it’s cast, and it is almost always broken. “Geis: A Matter of Life & Death”, the first volume in Deacon’s new comic trilogy, explores the fallout of the curse following the death of the chief of this matriarchal kingdom. Before she dies, she calls for a contest to determine her successor and fifty people are brought together only to learn that said contest is far more intense than any of them expected, chiefly after this malicious spirit appears, claiming they must endure some severe trials. She scatters them around the kingdom, telling them they must return to the castle before dawn. Or else.
Although there are a ton of people participating, Deacon quickly settles in to focus on a handful of characters, gradually revealing information and motivation as the night progresses. The girl, Io, is probably the closest to the main character, especially as her actions and impetus push the story forward, eventually revealing the true nature behind the contest. There’s also the wicked Councillor Nemas; the deluded fool, Artur; and the village witch, Eloise, who discovers the nature of magic at play. Deacon cleverly splits the perspective between these characters, building and building on the world with each consecutive scene.
“Geis: A Matter of Life & Death” is spectacular storytelling. Dragons appear, there are great magic battles, and monsters, all of it infused with plenty of intrigue. Deacon’s approach to the material has a storybook quality, delivered through watercolored images and thin, pencil line work. There’s a dreamy, conjured aesthetic as he layers and layers all these different elements, building to an intense, racing climax. Deacon’s instinct for holding a scene, for knowing when to deliver a particular piece of information, is impeccable, and holds your attention. With so many characters, there’s bound to be more than a few who aren’t as interesting to watch, but Deacon wisely plants relevant story points in their sequences so they don’t feel like a trudge to get through; plus, with his economic storytelling, it’s not long before we’ve transitioned to a new sequence.
I also dug that there was a certain inevitability to the adventure. Deacon could have easily grabbed any type of curse he wanted, but the geis and the very nature of the geis implies a certain entrapment to the narrative. Even if in later volumes the characters fight against their fate, even if this entire series features Io learning how to break the curse and stop the malicious spirit or whatever, there are still characters who will fall victim to this fate and, if Deacon continues demonstrating the hold over the story and continues to be willing to follow it through, they’ll be characters we care about. The stakes are high in this book, and Deacon doesn’t pretend otherwise.
Of course that’s the biggest hurdle with the book, and probably the biggest danger with any first entry in an unfinished series: we have to wait for any sort of progress. “Geis: A Matter of Life & Death” does raise a lot of questions and post a bunch of problems, resolving none of them. Character arcs are introduced and, in some cases, somewhat explored; the major conflict has been established and we’ve at least seen some fallout of breaking the curse. The book leaves us with enough to be satisfying and clamoring for more, but it’s difficult to say whether it pays off on its promises and ambitions. If it works as a whole rather than a segment.
But “Geis: A Matter of Life & Death” remains such a fascinating book. With stunning artwork and strong control over the delivery of the story, Alexis Deacon has turned in a spectacular opening chapter. It’s sharp and assured and engrossing, and you’ll go crazy waiting for the next installment.
Final Verdict: 9.5 – An achievement.
