The new Kickstarter The Dead and the Damned comic is shipping now from Goats Flying Press, and it’ll likely see a release in comic shops shortly, which is good news for fans of fantasy comics. Filled with swords, sorcery, and a main villain, who is a necromancer, there’s a lot to love. With so many Kickstarter comics to sift through, is The Dead and the Damned worth your time?
The review copy I have in hand is extra-sized and has great-quality paper and cover card stock. The book feels expensive in your hands, and it helps that it’s extra-sized, too. In a story written by Sebastian Girner with art by Kelly Wiliams, this book feels as close to a Heavy Metal Magazine comic as it comes. There’s blood, guts, adult themes, and an art style you don’t see in comic shops regularly.
The story opens with an army of the dead marching. We get a nice wide shot of skull men marching with ghouls, bloated huge monsters, and more. It’s an epic opening that suggests anyone alive will be dead real soon. At the center of this army is a necromancer who seems impossible to defeat. The heroes have an edge, or so they think, and this spurs cheers, defeat, and a journey across the land.
This is a world that’s lost to an army of the undead, which means very little hope. To punch up the humanity of it all, Girner fleshes out a few of the undead, giving them a clear voice and reliability. There’s plenty of time with the remaining humans as well. These characters give us a sense of the world and how they got here. There’s also a good build-up to the cliffhanger, which suggests that the enemy protecting the necromancer has a complicated past. He’s also got a cool design.
I bet they’re fun at parties.
An epic adventure is kicked off here that’s well worth reading. Humanity is at the brink but has an edge while the enemy flees, but amasses an army while they do so. Time is of the essence, and I’d argue you can’t find a better necromancy comic on the shelves like this. The story does drag a bit in the middle as characters lick their wounds and get their barring. The table setting leads right to the cliffhanger, which builds the next issue up well but takes a bit longer. Another action scene or some intrigue could have amped the narrative a bit.
Packaged with the first issue is a short story, character design sketches, and an afterward. It’s a good short story that runs four pages long, with an epic full-page spread by Williams.
The Dead and the Damned #1 is a good start to a fantasy epic that features plenty of adult violence, action, and fantasy themes. It’s a story that picks up the necromancer.
1 Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment Login