When the ComiXology Original Ask For Mercy by Richard Starkings and Abigail Jill Harding got the Dark Horse treatment, the first collected edition that covered the first two volumes was released in April last year. Around the same time, the latter two volumes of the series were digitally released on ComiXology. Considering that Dark Horse delayed the release of the second omnibus for so long, you’ll probably want to re-read the initial omnibus, which followed the titular Mercy as she travels through periods of time to face the forces of evil with a team of monster hunters who are actually monsters themselves.
As the ongoing story has ventured from World War II to battle monstrous Nazis, to the American Old West to stop a supernatural threat within the Indian Wars, Ask For Mercy returns to the present day. Mercy and Ratmir find themselves in 2023, where the streets of Leeds are deserted, but populated by monsters, including giant space whales hovering above the skies from all over the world. Meanwhile, other allies like Alizarine and everyone’s favorite Budgie are lost through time and dimensions as they all try to finish off the Kroach once and for all.
Following the pulpy sensibilities of the previous volumes that took a monstrous spin on the historical settings, shifting the story to the present day is a change of pace, acknowledging current topics like Covid-19 and then-president Donald Trump being turned into a monster whilst he blames Obama for their current predicament. Jumping back and forth between 2020 and 2023, the storytelling can be too much to grasp, from the time travel to the various monsters that appear. The latter does allow Harding to flex her artistic skills, however.
Dark Horse Comics
With each story arc having six issues, Richard Starkings is working with a rigid structure where the action moves at a quick pace, whilst you get info dumps that delve deep into the dense lore. Whereas the third volume “World of Disquiet” gets cluttered, the final volume “The Circle of Time” actually has some breathing room as we finally get answers about why the Kroach are attacking Earth, which begins with the Fall of Tertiarus. However, Ask For Mercy is at its best when it takes a break from the main narrative and focuses solely on one character, as seen in the first issue of “The Circle of Time” where we get the tragic backstory of the cursed-wolf-man Ratmir, which resembles Grimms’ fairy tales.
Through all the clutter, Abigail Jill Harding makes it all look stunning with her surreal colored artwork. If you have read the previous volumes of Ask For Mercy or her series Parliament of Rooks that she drew and wrote, you will know that Harding has a unique vision when it comes to monsters, whether it is the grand beauty of the more fantastical creature designs, or humanity itself becoming monstrous in a literal sense – the Deathless being a highlight. Nearly every page introduces a new aspect of the world-building that can go from Leeds Town Hall being covered in green slime or sky pirates flying around on ships that are hooked on giant squids.
A lot happens in the second omnibus, and not all of it works, but when it slows down to focus on characterization, as well as relishing in the stunning visuals by Harding, there is enough to enjoy in the finale of Ask For Mercy.
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