Fantasy is one of the best forms of escapism, as seen with The Hunger and the Dusk. Dropping readers into another world of danger, mystery, and romance relieves us of our most pressing thoughts and emotions. You get that from G. Willow Wilson and Chirs Wildgoose’s third issue, which AIPT has an exclusive advance look at. The war is raging with the enemy known as the Vangol, and friends are dead in The Last Men Standing as humans and orcs attempt to work towards a common goal.
As a spoiler-free review, I can say with certainty the war gets more complicated in The Hunger and the Dusk #3 (out in comic shops October 11th). So far, the Vangol is a slimmer, taller race that is so powerful they can take out many men and orcs alike with a single soldier. They aren’t immortal or invulnerable, but so formidable their danger has brought the longstanding human and orc war to a standstill. You’ll get it with this issue if you’re looking for more insight into their race.
The character work continues to be superb as well. Wilson is exceptional at adding nuance to characters through dialogue, while Wildgoose makes their emotions realistic. I wouldn’t put it past readers to have deep bonds with various characters already, and we’re only three issues in. We get new insight into a new character who seems wise and caring yet is basically in an army for a living.
The complexities of the relationships on the page are also intriguing. If you’re a fan of melodrama, you can practically smell the conflicts between heroes that may arise. Or romance, for that matter.
Credit: IDW
This issue also features good action, with a scene that makes our heroes incredibly tactile and efficient. One gets the sense The Last Men Standing are like Navy Seals and as dangerous as an army. Wildgoose does spectacular work with environments in this issue. You get a sense of awe at times, and the world features many bent mountains that add an excellent sense of otherworldliness. The design and detail of the clothing is also top-notch. It’s not something many notice, but I implore you to stop and take in what the characters wear in this book. It adds to the world-building.
Possibly the most interesting thing about this third issue is language. It’s not a surprise coming from Wilson, but some phonetic work works incredibly well in one scene without spoiling things. At first, my eyes were skipping over some of it, thinking it was just garbled nonsense, but upon closer inspection, it cleverly could be translated ever so slightly. It added another layer to the world and its characters I didn’t expect.
The Hunger and the Dusk continues to be a great fantasy in an industry severely lacking in it. The Hunger and the Dusk is full of sharp, inventive detail with some of the most endearing characters you’ll read in comics. Find the third issue in comic shops on October 11th.
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