The quarterly may be a rare bird in today’s marketplace, oh how I miss “Vertigo Quarterly,” but Andrew Maclean has made it his schedule of choice. With issue #11, he brings us the third chapter in the ‘The Knights of Venora’ act. How does it stack up to the rest? Read on, fair adventurers, but be warned, there be spoilers ahead.
Cover by Andrew Maclean
& Jordie BellaireWritten, Illustrated and Lettered by Andrew Maclean
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Erin MacleanThe Goblin horde is pushed back, but for how long? Dark messengers arrive in Venoriah. Taking advantage of the chaos of war, Florentine makes her moves.
“Head Lopper” is an adventure comic, seeped in the stylings of the neon soaked underground comix that preceded it, and run through the “Conan” mythos. It is equal parts introspective meditation on the emptiness of the life of Norgal, the titular Head Lopper, and a reverie of madness, blood, and war. This is best summed up by the opening scene of the issue, where Norgal sits upon a throne, his hair unkempt, looking older than he ever has, despite this being a flashback.
The image calls to mind that of King Conan. Both have power and authority thrust upon them because of their uncanny ability to cut down their foes and the charisma with which they rally those behind them without really trying. However, where Conan is usually portrayed as confident and brash, Norgal is tired. He sits, his head down, his helmet upon the floor. He is bathed in the orange light of the fire, accentuating the melancholic nature of the image.
The silence he maintains as the scout informs him of the enemy’s position is telling, the eye contact he refuses to give further informing us of his character in that moment. He is lost in thought, yes, but the angles Maclean lends insight into what he is thinking. Why he is not enthused about the battle, we do not know. Does he hate his position? Is the loneliness of being the Head Lopper weighing down upon his wide shoulders? Maybe. That is something that will most likely be elucidated as the series goes on.
What we do know is that the name Head Lopper is not a name that brings him joy. Juxtaposed against his downcast face, covered in vertical hatches pushing down on him and the background, creating the shadows that dance in the tent, we are kept from seeing his face in full until the first time he speaks. And when he does, the first words from his mouth are asking the scout to call him anything but his title. And in that panel, we see the age in his eyes and in the wrinkles on his face.
And yet, this is not a flash-forwards. It is prologue to the finding of Agatha and an explanation of the confusion of the previous two issues.
This prologue shows the distance that Maclean has come as a storyteller. While action and war still drive the bulk of the issue, the meatier context is found in the quiet moments. In the hand lettering and ominous sound effects. In Bellaire’s stunning palette that is all at once fantastical & otherworldly, through saturated, solid colors that pop, and grounded in complexity and restraint.
However, not all the characters are particularly deep. As this is seeped in the adventure genre, the greater action tends to take precedence over character building via interactions. That said, the archetypes he pepper the series with all feel real and three dimensional. They have wants and desires, hopes and dreams, and while we only see those from afar, we are aware they are present and can at least make out the shape of them. Such is the case with the bandit, the first sword, and Arlen.
Perhaps my biggest complaint for issue #11 is the same I have for much of Maclean’s work, and that is the lack of visual clarity that crops up in some of his more complex panels. It is a depth of field issue, where, due to the cross hatching, objects blend and merge so it is hard to tell who is doing what or even what they are doing. There are significantly fewer panels here than in the past and the battle scene at fantasy Stonehenge, where many of these were, is brought clarity through Bellaire’s coloring.
Continued belowThe narrative faults that cropped up in the first two issues of this arc have been smoothed out and while not everything is clear, it is apparent that this is by design. As anyone who’s heard a grand tale of adventure knows, there must always be a shadowy figure that skulks in the background. There are greater questions and answers at play now, ones that texture these self-contained, four issue adventures, and in revealing them, the desire to know more builds.
There is too much to love and too much to talk about with “Head Lopper” #11. From his art style and humor, to his and Erin’s gorgeous, expressive lettering and sound effects, to the smaller interplay between the various threads within the issue not to mention the action plot of the arc. It cannot all be touched on and I won’t even try. Give this series a pick up, you won’t regret it. It is a joy to have on the stands and a welcome sight every three months, even with its faults.
Final Score: 8.7 – “Head Lopper” #11 bring the story of the ‘Knights of Venorah’ arc to final chapter, answering questions that then beget more, better, more tantalizing ones. A strong third chapter on all fronts.
