Seven Swords issue 1 featured Reviews 

“Seven Swords” #1

By | June 17th, 2021
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

Something is compelling about a good crossover, watching characters from different worlds but similar times get the chance to interact with one another. From television programs like Penny Dreadful, to comics like ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,’ it’s intriguing to see what happens when stories collide. The thing is that there is a tricky balance to pulling off a successful crossover. While indeed not a necessity, it helps to have a certain familiarity with the characters presented, or at the very least the tropes of the genre in which they exist. Without a baseline knowledge of the characters, sometimes it can be easy to get lost. In many ways, this is the problem with “Seven Swords” #1, a comic that is beautiful but difficult to follow.

Cover by Andy Clarke with Jose Villarrubia
Written by Evan Daugherty
Illustrated by Riccardo Latina
Colored by Valentina Bianconi
Lettered by Dave Sharpe

A weary and jaded D’Artagnan is drawn into a final conflict with the wicked Cardinal Richelieu, whose ruthless quest for power has led him to the supernatural. But the Last Musketeer can’t defeat these infernal enemies alone.

To save the world, he’ll need to join forces with seven iconic swashbuckling heroes: Don Juan, Captain Blood, Cyrano de Bergerac, to name a few. SEVEN SWORDS, who must overcome their host of differences and work together if they have any hope of thwarting Richelieu’s diabolical plans.

From writer EVAN DAUGHERTY (writer of films such as Snow White and the Huntsman,
Divergent and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and illustrator Riccardo Latina comes high
adventure with a cutting edge!

One of the most significant issues of “Seven Swords” #1 is that it assumes a fair bit of prior knowledge from the audience of the heroes of the swashbuckling adventure genre of the 18th and 19th centuries. While Evan Daugherty wisely puts the majority of the focus of this premier issue on D’Argtagian and his quest for revenge on his fallen comrades, there are small vignettes of other characters that will play a role in the series. He includes these characters with a wink and a nod but no real explanation of who they are. While the end of the issue features dossiers on each team member, Don Juan and Cyrano de Bergerac are not enough household names to make covert references and assume your audience will follow along with the reference. While these vignettes are often not very long, only occupying a couple of pages at a time, it makes the issue overall feel disjointed and distracted. At the same time, the book reveals that all the characters are connected (and that even more adventurers are out there). It’s overwhelmed by its scope. It’s a shame because there are some fun moments in the issue showcasing the author’s love of a good adventure.

While the issue overall is plagued with meandering vignettes and some moments of seemingly embellished importance, there are some exciting moments of swashbuckling glory. Riccardo Latina’s art and the coloring of Valentina Bianconi create fluid and memorable action sequences, which gives the book a rip-roaring adventurous feeling. Watching D’Argtagian fight his way through an entourage of priests, only to scale Notre Dame, is the kind of rip-roaring adventure you would hope to see with Errol Flynn at the helm. It even gives Dave Sharpe a chance to add to the larger-than-life excess of the adventure genre as he triumphantly declares that he will climb the tower and enact his revenge. The art throughout the book is gorgeous, changing between shadowy grey intrigue and bright flamboyant revelry of the upper crust—the lighting and shadowing help create unique settings and instantly establishes the tone. There are many scenes in “Seven Swords” #1 that balance the action and humor that is sometimes associated with the genre, opera singers shooting heckling audience members and overt flirting leading to jealous ambushes that show Daugherty understands the appeal of these kinds of stories. Hell, there’s even a ruthless pirate ambush! All the pieces are there to make something unique and memorable, but something about the execution leaves something to be desired.

It’s primarily the little things about the issue. There’s nothing glaringly wrong about it, the art is good, the dialogue with its occasional punchy moments, but there was just something that didn’t connect as the intrigued continued to build and the mystery unfolded. While the comic builds the menace of Richelieu, it doesn’t precisely entice a return visit. Apparently, there is a seemingly magical sword, one that will let the cardinal and his ilk return from hiding. While this is seemingly enough to get the last musketeer on board, “Seven Swords” #1 doesn’t showcase why the other team members. Still, there would have no reason to care. Really, the asides are what does the issue in, overall. If the other characters were better incorporated, it might have been better, but it seems that perhaps excluding them until the very end might have been the smarter solution. Daugherty wants to entice readers with the crossover team of swashbucklers that is to come but ultimately does it in a clunky way.

The write-up of the characters at the end of “Seven Swords” #1 is interesting and shows why the former leader of the Musketeers might have them join forces. Even the preview of next month’s issue hints at some fun early rivalries on the team, but there just wasn’t enough here to return in a month. Perhaps the swashbuckling adventurers just don’t have the same universal household appeal of the gothic horrors of the penny dreadful characters or the Victorian heroes of H.G. Wells and his contemporaries, it’s equally as possible that there was just something lost in the presentation. In any case, the underwhelming and often difficult-to-follow first issue of this new crossover left something to be desired.

Final Verdict: 5.5 While “Seven Swords” #1 features some impressive art of swashbuckling fun, the issue feels muddled and aimless.


Joe Skonce

Joe Skonce was born, raised, and currently resides in Ohio, but has been exploring fantastical and imaginary worlds for as long as he can remember. He loves big guys and barbarians, pirates and puppets, and is always down to find nerdy new things. Come say hi to him on twitter @tunabellgrande.

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