The problem with long-running sci-fi/fantasy narratives like Game of Thrones or Star Wars is no matter how the story expands through its world-building, opening many possibilities for where it can go, ultimately the story has to end and you have to tie up all the loose ends. Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo are facing this problem with Seven Secrets in its third and final volume.
After blowing up the Seekers’ Headquarters, Eva and her son Caspar are not out of the woods with the secret of Caspar’s identity, which threatens the bond between them. As Amon and Canto are about to use the Books of Nostradamus to unleash their ultimate plan, the remaining members of the Order of the Seven Secrets prepare for one final battle, whilst Caspar must learn the secret of his new powers to find out who he really is.
While it started out as a Deadly Class-like premise of the young prospect being trained in the ways of the Order to protect the secretive cases from the evil Seekers, Seven Secrets has definitely evolved throughout its 18 issues. From a stylized action spy narrative to literal fairy-tale fantasy, the final volume is able to redeem some of the detours that have occurred previously, such as the Fairie issue from Vol. 2, which initially felt like a missed opportunity in its world-building.
Seven Secrets has always moved at a quick pace, which could often lead to not much development with all the supporting players and aspects of the Order. However, with only a few characters to play a part in the finale, it was nice seeing the few interactions between characters, such as Titus, who had always been a bully towards Caspar, but ultimately learning to grow and finding redemption. The emotional core continues to be the mother-daughter dynamic, which has a few obstacles along the way, most notably Caspar’s true identity, adding a whole new wrinkle to why his parents left him when he was born. As for Amon’s path of vengeance, you can understand his motivation without realizing the consequences of his actions, whilst his lover Canto struggles to stand beside him as chaos ensues.
The one consistent element that shines throughout the series is Daniele Di Nicuolo’s art that, along with Walter Baiamonte’s vibrant coloring, has always had a similar aesthetic to how certain manga is drawn, which is very apparent in the kinetic action sequences where there are expansive panel layouts. Leaning further into the realm of fantasy, the action becomes more bombastic like you would see in a Shonen manga and certainly evokes the artist’s time on BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers comics.
Stepping into full-blown fantasy makes the finale of Seven Secrets worthwhile, as well as ending on a positive note for its characters.
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