Prince Dargon and the Sectaurs continue battling Empress Devora’s forces as Sectaurs #2 (written by Dennis Culver with art by Ramon Bachs and Manoli Martinez) opens. The issue is action-packed from beginning to end and further solidifies its place at the top of Oni’s Nacelleverse line of books.
Prince Dargon, leader of the Sectaurs, is the ultimate reluctant hero, having to suddenly take control of the kingdom when his father slips into a coma. Dargon’s much like young Luke Skywalker: he has the spirit and courage to be a hero, but he lacks training and doesn’t have the tools. He’s woefully unprepared for combat and his mount Dragonflyer barely heeds his commands.
Amidst all this, Empress Devora’s strike squad makes a surprise blitzkrieg attack, taking the heroes by surprise and putting them on their heels.
The battle’s waged on multiple fronts throughout the issue, with Dargon locked in an aerial battle with the brutal General Spidrax, the two battling atop their flying insectoid steeds, as warriors Stellara and Pinsor battle Devora’s soldiers in the Sectaur King’s castle, trying to keep Devora’s forces from reaching their goal: the unlimited treasures contained in the King’s Sanctum.
Visually, the book is teeming with beautiful imagery courtesy of artist Ramon Bachs and colorist Manoli Martinez. Whether it’s Prince Dargon zooming across the sky atop his insectoid steed, or the Kirbyesque villain Scorpia and the Sectaur Mantor having a psychic battle on the astral plane (totally swathed in pulsating sapphire energy), every page bursts wide-open with half-human, half-insect characters, terrifying creatures and beautiful alien landscapes.
I especially enjoyed the scenes with Sectaur soldiers Stellara and Pinsor, both experienced hardened fighters standing against the Hulk-like Bodyball and a massive number of Devora’s enemy forces. The duo are fighting a hopeless battle but they’re all for the thrill of combat. It’s during these scenes that the book feels akin to those great Conan or John Carter tales, with camaraderie between warriors, lots of sword fighting and bloodshed and alien vessels and creatures zooming through the air above.
Having enjoyed the Sectaurs miniseries back in the mid-1980s (yes, it was only a miniseries and unfortunately had nowhere near the long run that Transformers, G.I. Joe, etc. had), I was looking forward to this series. I wasn’t impressed by Marvel’s eight-issue miniseries (which also came out in the 1980s); I felt it was fairly generic and didn’t expand on the characters. This series embraces the epic quality of the Sectaurs universe, highlighting the personalities of the individual characters as well as amplifying all the wondrous traits of the original concept. I also love that the book is much edgier and more graphic than the animated series was. There were a couple scenes this issue alone that would probably earn it an “R” rating if it were made into an animated or live-action film.
If you’re a fan of the Sectaurs or just a fan of really great heroic fantasy, you’ll love this series. I hope it has a long run.
