I don’t think it would be giving too much away if I said that this one-shot from Image Comics might as well be called “Distrust and Betrayal Stories (to Die For)”. They’re pretty grim. Both written by Dirk Manning, and both addressing the seedier side of devotion and loyalty.
Written by Dirk Manning
Illustrated by Rich Bonk & Owen GieniTwo full-length stories in one double-length flip book! First, a desperate monk pits a band of savage Vikings against a pack of rabid vampires in a frantic attempt to protect an exceptionally precious child. In the second story, a woman trapped on a space station overrun by aliens must chose whether to save the second seat on her two-person escape pod for her aloof but heroic husband or for her passionate, forbidden lover.
First up is “Bloodlust: Deceiver of the Gods”, which is a big title for a story that comes across kind of banal. Worthy warrior is hired by monks to deal with with vampire demon problem; worthy warrior is surprised at what he finds. The “love” in question has more to do with love of honour and justice than romantic love, but Manning does do a solid job getting at the complicated codes of conduct that this Viking has to bear in mind, however badly he wants to dash in and chop some heads. It just doesn’t add up to much as a story, and reads like one long action scene that would require a bit more context around the edges in order to feel like something complete.
Rich Bonk’s art is solid, doing a particularly good job of conveying a feeling of movement during the fights. The Vikings’ faces have a great weathered look, nicely suggesting the rough-edged candour of the warriors themselves, while the demons are about what you’d expect and err a touch on the campy side. Sean Burres’ saturated and diverse colours also suggest more of a camp flavor, but the touches of texture that come across in both Bonk and Burres’ work – including penciled-in swaths of black that put one in mind of Esad Ribic’s shadows in “Thor: God of Thunder” – add a lot of visual interest to what is otherwise an unexciting story.
The second tale (or first, if you’re in the habit of picking up books upside-down) is “Symptom of the Universe”, and I’m not quite sure what to make of that title either. The story centers on a woman who has to choose between saving her husband or her lover from an alien attack, and while her indecision is portrayed economically, and we get to understand the distinct personalities of the men well enough in a short space of time, the story still comes across a touch mean-spirited for engaging too superficially with the central dilemma. Problems are solved by means of abrupt deaths which nobody seems to mourn, and it’s hard not to hate pretty much everybody involved by the time you get to the last page.
All of this said, you’ve got Owen Gieni’s art and colours illuminating this story, which make it, visually, a treat and a half. His drawing is both sleek and admirably subtle, with main characters and aliens alike coming across in all kinds of glowing, well-chosen detail. Gieni’s palette, meanwhile, is limited but bright, exhibiting the preference for orange and blue tones that we saw in “Debris” and employing strong contrasts to luminous effect.
One factor which detracts from the readability of both these stories is the lettering. It’s more of a problem in “Bloodlust” than in “Universe”, but in both cases the roughness of the font style tends to draw the eye away from the art. It’s also hard to say what the “flipbook” structure adds, other than novelty, and particularly after seeing Jeff Lemire’s work in the format, it’s a touch disappointing to see that no creative advantage is taken.
Overall, there isn’t too much to write home about in this collection, and much less to die for, but it’s worth a look for Gieni’s art. Or if you just feel like getting a bit depressed about love in general, but then, you don’t need a comic book to do that.
Final Verdict: 6.0 – Browse
