Medieval setting with demons/aliens…sounds pretty cool, no? Is it good?
Dark Ages #2 (Dark Horse Comics)
So, I started the last issue saying there were dinosaurs in the book, but I was wrong. I’m pretty sure now that they’re aliens. I think. Either way, the last issue ended with what looked like a spacecraft hovering over the monks’ castle that the knights entered. They’re preparing for battle to open this issue, and now that the exposition is over we get plenty of action and reveals.
Don’t ever sneak up on a knight. They ain’t ninjas!
Writer Dan Abnett balances things nicely in this issue and by issue’s end if he doesn’t have you by the balls you’re not paying attention. After 12 pages of quiet moments between our protagonists, we get eight pages of alien/demon vs. knight action. The final four pages set up what could be a very interesting reveal. I was a bit surprised we didn’t see the big reveal, and frankly felt the reader is cheated a bit by not seeing it, but the implications are very interesting. One of the more tantalizing aspects in this issue is why the monks have taken a vow of silence. It’s a clever idea that makes you think maybe monks throughout the ages are silent for science fiction reasons. Cool stuff.
The demon sequence is awesome as well, with a very cool flow that keeps you on your toes. It’s kind of insane some steel can take out aliens with glowing weapons and the ability to animate the dead, but hell, it looks cool, so who cares about reasons!?
The art by I. N. J. Culbard is stronger than in the first issue, maybe because he gets to show off some interesting alien/demon designs. His use of color is particularly inspiring, making even the most tepid of scenes pop with a solid yellow background, or in the case of the battle, a reserved use of blood. That makes the violence that much more disturbing, and considering his style isn’t the most detailed, it helps add a bit of shock to the scenes.
Nice narration.
Is It Good?
Perfectly balanced and paced with interesting reveals and a twist ending that’ll get you amped up for the next issue. The action sequence is spectacular too!
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