EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m going to revive a feature I occasionally wrote for the old BC Refugees blog - - PRE-ORDER PICKS. In the past, I would page through the monthly Previews catalog and then offer a long list of books that I felt were worthy of your attention but might not be something your local comic shop was ordering for their shelves. In most cases, I was judging these books by their potential, taking a chance that they would be as good as I anticipated. I’m going to take a different approach for the new articles. I’m only going to recommend books that I know are really good, because I’ve read an advance review copy of a single issue - - or I’ve read all the individual issues that comprise a new trade paperback or hardcover being offered. In the case of this first review, I was a Kickstarter supporter and now excited to see this come to print. With all of these PRE-ORDER PICKS keep in mind - - if you are interested, don’t take a chance on the store having a copy. Make sure by pre-ordering. Your local comic shop will thank you. Guaranteed sales help make them profitable. Please place your order before Wednesday, March 27 - - which is the cut-off date.
WAILING BLADE #1 (ComixTribe, May 2019 release date). Writer: Rick Douek. Artist: Joe Mulvey. Colorists: Chris Sotomayor & Jules Rivera. Letterer: Taylor Esposito.
The best market approach for launching new comics that traverse the fringe areas of comics popularity is to begin with a Kickstarter or IndieGoGo campaign to gauge interest. The best projects will attract an audience upfront, thereby guaranteeing future sales and at minimum help cover the costs of printing and production. It’s an approach that smaller publishers like Devils’ Due (Squarriors) and ComixTribe (Sink) have massaged to success. The latest project that ComixTribe is introducing is WAILING BLADE.
WAILING BLADE blends swordplay, science-fiction, and fantasy elements in a post-apocalyptic world. The action takes place in a feudal-type setting with common folk oppressed and depressed by a ruling body that utilizes bloody henchmen with advanced technology weapons to keep them downtrodden and subservient.
As described by the publicity, WAILING BLADE is “all about bone-crunching action, weird science, and an Earth that’s barely recognizable as our own.”
I appreciate that last piece of information, as I wasn’t sure after reading the first issue that this wasn’t an imaginary world. Writer Douek has done a ton of background plotting and fleshing out of his fantastic world. The detailed map included of this land certainly doesn’t resemble the profile of any of the seven continents of Earth that I recognize.
The debut issue (the first story arc is planned for four issues), does a great job of immersing the reader in this strange world and the pacing is frantic. However, it raised a lot of questions about the how and why of the setting that hopefully will be answered in future issues.
Again, thanks to the publicity information I’ve learned a bit more about the background/history that wasn’t apparent from first reading. It’s worth sharing here:
“ . . . In our future, mankind will found a star-faring empire stretching across a thousand worlds. We’ll uncovers the secrets of technology so advanced, it seems like magic. We’ll bring alien species home, and move entire planets through space to suit our needs.
And one day, it will all go to hell.
Fast forward a few thousand years, and what few remnants of mankind’s golden age that still exist are under the control of the Tyrant Of Minturn, a despotic ruler who uses said technology to wage war on whoever defies him, and keep the population of his empire in line.”
That he does, and in cruel despotic fashion, enforcing his rule through executioners who utilize high-tech weaponry from before the fall. The lead executioner and apparently main character of the series is The Headtaker, who wields the Wailing Blade - - a huge electronic sword that earned its’ name as it screams when used. He’s an immense hulking figure, and perhaps the only one who could carry the Wailing Blade as it’s as big as he is and almost blots out his form when it’s slung across his back. He wears the skull of a fearsome creature as a helmet. His gray skin tone and huge size indicate that he may not be human, perhaps some being from another world.
The opening scenes depict the Headtaker doing his job, traveling to various towns within the Tyrant’s kingdom and dispatching lawbreakers in bloody, decapitating fashion. A father is separated from his head by the Walling Blade for a simple crime of theft while trying to feed his family, in an execution that is on public display.
We get a better glimpse of this imaginative land with strange landscapes and unusual plant life when the action switches to The Windcleaver Clan, a group of bandits who dare to defy the supreme ruler. They use the winged carcasses of flying creatures to swoop down on caravans in an effort to steal technology artifacts (a windmaker intended to be sold to farmers). But the caravan is well protected by other flying warriors, and leader Tychon’s father (Auros) is captured.
The call goes out to The Headtaker to travel to the town where Auros is being held to perform the execution. This ends in a gruesome battle as the bandits attempt to stop The Headtaker before he can reach the town.
I’m not spoiling it by sharing this much of the story. You have to see it to believe it and appreciate the high-quality work that went into the production of Wailing Blade. The art team is spot-on, with bursting colors and some of the best art work that I’ve seen from illustrator Joe Mulvey. Not only can he depict garish action scenes with loads of blood and incredible landscapes, but the emotions displayed by the characters is equally brilliant - - despair, fear and shock in very telling close-ups.
In spite of The Headmaster appearing to be the main character, I’m inclined to root for the bandit clan. It’s hard for me to empathize with such a merciless henchman. Perhaps some of his character will be further developed in future issues, and I’ll find something to relate to. Douek wisely stuck to immersing the reader in his world and action scenes rather than dumping too much background information on readers in the first issue. The first issue need to hook readers, and I took the bait. I think you will as well.
In an interview at comicburst.com, Richard Douek professes his “love of classic sword & sorcery and weird,pulply science-fiction.” There’s a little bit of all of that in WAILING BLADE. Douek cites as inspirations for his fantastic world some impressive works: Michael Moorcock’s Elric, Fritz Leiber’s Lankmar/Fafhred & The Grey Mouser, Jack Vance’s Dying Earth books, and a smattering of Masters Of The Universe and Thundarr The Barbarian.
No comments:
Post a Comment