With each issue, Fireborn not only manages to expand the world of Lost Fantasy but also tells a compelling standalone story in the process. That can’t be easy, and yet with the way that Curt Pires, Franklin Jonas, and Patrick Mulholland are working together, it definitely feels like they’ve hit the right rhythm. So has the story, which finally reveals the history behind the dragon egg that’s bonded itself to Aaron Hillburg and why nearly everyone in the mystical world wants it. After coming face to face with Edgard, the mysterious man who was previously carrying the egg, Aaron soon finds himself facing off against a new group of enemies called the Children of Eternal Night.
It’s in the introduction of the Children of the Eternal Night that Fireborn #3 truly shines. Not only do Pires and Jonas give each of these characters a unique power, but Mulholland also gives them all distinct designs. One is a living mass of metal and spikes, essentially a punk-rock version of the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Another looks like or might be an actual alien, complete with dark gray skin, bulbous eyes, and a ray gun. Another bears a mouse mask that wouldn’t be out of place in fellow Image title Exquisite Corpses, but his silly visage belies the fact that he’s extremely fast and extremely deadly.
Before this big battle, Edgard tells Aaron the true history of the Fireborn. “Fireborn” doesn’t just refer to the union between a dragon and a human, but also to the clan of warriors that utilized these powers to protect the world. It’s told in a beautifully illustrated sequence by Mulholland, who makes use of the issue’s giant-size formats to deliver splash pages depicting generations of Fireborn battling monsters and donning the same spiky armor that Patrick wears in his Fireborn form. Pires and Jonas have also given Fireborn the ultimate “cheat code”, so to speak. A thousand years of dragon-powered heroes? That’s enough to carry the series for a long time, and maybe even launch another spinoff or two if Pires feels so bold.
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The only thing that annoys me about Fireborn #3 is a moment where Aaron dismisses Edgard’s history lesson as “fantasy-ass bullsh*t.” One of my most hated tropes in storytelling is when someone who’s experienced supernatural events continues to deny that the supernatural exists; it doesn’t make sense, and as Edgard rightfully points out, someone who’s been mentally and physically bonded with a dragon egg like Aaron was shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the idea that others like him might exist. Hopefully, Aaron will grow to embrace the more fantastic world he’s gotten glimpses of, if it isn’t beaten into him by his new foes.
Fireborn #3 also continues the “Edge” backup story by Timmy Heague and Luca Casalanguida, where one of the Knights of Edge descends deep into darkness to claim the power of a dragon for himself. Heague’s story hints at a connection between the Knights of Edge and Fireborn, which I hope will continue to be explored in future issues. As for Casalanguida, he doesn’t hold back on the action sequences or the fantasy elements. Massive golems made of spiky rocks are carved in half by the Knights of Edge, and the Knights also come face to face with a massive demon named Abraxas. Even though Abraxas is shrouded in darkness, his silhouette feels immensely menacing, thanks to the dark colors by Mark Dale and the twisted lettering of Micah Meyers.
Fireborn #3 introduces a new set of challenges for its dragon-powered hero, as it peels back the mystery behind his new abilities and gives him a terrifying new set of foes to fight. Judging from the last page, Aaron’s trials have only begun.
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