Review: The Last Siege #8

The Last Siege #8, the final issue in this mini-series, came out this week and was a bloody finish to an incredible story. No big surprise on the visceral factor. I compared this movie to 'Seven Samurai meets Braveheart' at some point. But there was for me a surprise at the end of this story. But as I have heard Landry Walker say in the past, 'give the audience what they need, not what they want.'

There is so much that I have liked about this book, all spelled out in prior reviews. To reiterate, there is a very cinematic feel to this story, leaning into certain film genres like 'spaghetti westerns' with extreme close-ups getting more and more focused.

The art has been raw and gritty with Justin Greenwood managing the pacing and page layout expertly. Sometimes it is just a panel of an eye. Other times it is a battle of armies. Other times, the panels tilt more as we read, mirroring the action of the characters. Colorist Brad Simpson started out with a palette of purples and grays but quickly has moved to oranges and yellows as the battle field has gone ablaze.

For me, it is the story that fuels this. Tomislav, the absentee prince who returns home from carousing to find his land in ruins. Istva, the warlord king who thinks fear and power leads to nobility. And most importantly Lady Cathryn who has to grow from innocent girl playing with dolls to battle scarred leader over the course of days. It is truly her story. She is the one who grows here, changes.

I am sad to see this book ending and would recommend folks seek out the trade. It is definitely worth it.

Review: The Last Siege #7

The Last Siege #7 came out last week, the penultimate issue of this extremely enjoyable mini-series.

I have been reviewing comics on this site for 10 years and there are a few sayings that crop up every so often.

One is 'big moments need big art', a statement I make when a splash page is utilized appropriately to convey the enormity of a moment.

Another is 'when words and art complement each other, comics is at its best'.

The former applies to this issue. The latter does not.

This issue portrays the title. This is the siege moment. This is Istvan's army storming Lord Aedon's castle. It is told in a series of two page spreads, one side a splash, the other side, panels conveying smaller moments of action. There is a thread in the book, a series of panels designed to build suspense in the tale, told through panels growing larger and brighter. This whole book is big art. And for the battle that has been brewing this whole mini-series, it is thrilling.

But, amazingly, this is a 'silent issue'. There isn't one spoken word. There isn't one text box. There isn't one 'meanwhile'. Words can't complement the story. There are no words. Instead, the art has to carry the story. The pace of the battle. The passing of time. That increasing suspense. The characters' thoughts and feelings. It all has to be shown, not told.

And it all works.

Even the cover is part of the story. A torn doll lying in the rubble of a castle under attack. It shows a loss of innocence. Queen Cathryn cannot be a child anymore. Not here. The image tells us that.

Kudos to writer Landry Walker and artist Justin Greenwood for this accomplishment. Congratulations to colorist Brad Simpson for his use of yellows and oranges for this fire-drenched battle. Amazing.

Review: The Last Siege #4

The Last Siege #6 came out last week and continues to be an ultra-dramatic story racing towards its conclusion.

I have said all along that this movie has been playing out in my head like a film, Braveheart meets The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly meets Seven Samurai. From the pacing to the panel composition to the plot, it all feels like a Spaghetti Western hopped up on mead. And I have loved every minute of it.

Writer Landry Walker has done a great job bringing this tale up to a roiling boil. After issues of set-up and back story, the pieces are all on the board. And now the board is on fire. Incredible. Along with this deliberate ratcheting up the action, we still get great character beats. We learn the history of Tomislav and Istvan both within the illustrated comic and in the text pieces in the back. We see Lady Cathryn go from innocent silent girl playing with dolls to wounded combat leader rallying the troops. This has been a meaty read from all angles.

Artist Justin Greenwood continues to bring us a bleak gritty landscape with his inky work. But one thing I have appreciated along the way has been his ability to convey information through body language. In this book, you can feel the weariness in the beaten warriors' bones. You feel the nervousness of the characters fleeing the carnage. So much is said without words.

Rounding out the team is Brad Simpson on colors. Given the amount of gore and fire in this chapter, we get a brighter palette than the usual one for this book. We are bathed in yellows and oranges that bring the story out of the shadows. We also have Pat Brosseau on lettering and he brings his usual panache.

I've been thrilled with this book so far. The end is nigh!

Review: Last Siege #5

The Last Siege #5 came out last week and this title continues to impress me. As I have said before, this book has played out in my mind like a movie. At times the art has felt like storyboards. The panel layouts and viewpoints and extreme closeups have reminded me of spaghetti westerns or Kurosawa films. Trust me, all of that is high compliment. I have loved this story.

This issue, in one brief moment and one panel, I was thrust away from film and back into the comic book form. We'll get there I promise. But when something jarring or different happens in a book the way this did, I was shocked. And that is the best compliment of all. Because after reading comics as long as I have, being shocked is hard to come by. It's a small moment for sure ... but it mattered. So kudos to artist Justin Greenwood for bring this wonderful style to the book.

Best yet, writer Landry Walker starts to peel back the origins of the mysterious swordsman who has been protecting this last castle. We learn his name and his backstory.  We see how he is linked to the warlord King running roughshod across the land. We see how imagery from early in this book is paid off here. It all just clicks.

My comic store has been getting only a handful of these issues each month. So head out and find them or buy the eventual trade. You won't be disappointed.

On to the book.

Review: The Last Siege #4

The Last Siege #4 came out last week and once again it was one of the most cinematic books that I have read recently. Everything about this title screams film to me. From my description of this as spaghetti western meets Braveheart, to the way the panels flow almost like storyboards, this comic plays out in my mind while I am reading it like a movie. And that is high praise. Because comics are all about filling in the gutters, about intuiting what happens between panels. When a book flows the way this one does, it is magical.

To put it in even stronger terms, I am starting to hear a score in my mind when I am reading this, from percussion beats as our hero is kicking down a door to frenetic strings as our Queen is running on rooftops dodging arrows.

Writer Landry Walker continues to slowly unwind this story of a single castle holding off the hordes of a warlord conqueror. But that external threat still hasn't manifested. Instead we have been shown the internal conflict within the walls of those who are willing to fall in line with the current regime even if it means losing their souls and those holding on to their integrity and identity. It all unfolds in the midst of brutal scenes of violence which makes it all the more glorious.

The art team consists of penciler Justin Greenwood, colorist Eric Jones and letterer Pat Brousseau. They bring a muddy and murky feel to everything here, creating the perfect tone for this dark play. Even when blood is shed, it is more of a black ink than a shock of red. It complements the writing perfectly.

This is the halfway point and it feels as though we have hit the apogee. Our queen has finally talked both in word and in deed. No turning back now.

Review: The Last Siege #3

The Last Siege #3 came out last week and continues to be the perfect meld of samurai drama, spaghetti western cinematography, and medieval warfare. Despite that heavy smorgasbord of genres, there is a slight injection of racial and gender politics into this little battlefield story. Simply put, I am loving it. You could write this like a simple barbarian story if you wanted. But it is this depth that makes this special.

One of the things that really strikes me about this book is the multi-layered story that writer Landry Walker is presenting to us. There is internal strife within the walls of this last castle. There are power struggles on a political scale. There are brawls on a street level. And all of this is happening while combat is about to come to this land from a national scale. How can this one small estate hold off the armies of the warlord king when it can barely maintain stability on its own? The house's leadership needs to get settled before it can face off against a country.

This issue is all about this internal struggle. The Easterner who has arrived with papers declaring him in charge is trying to shore up the defenses of this place while mentoring the Queen. The knight Feist, who had power stripped from him, is back with a vengeance. He wants to rule, humiliate the Easterner, and abuse the Queen, all as a way to usurp power. And while we get plenty of sword and shield action, blood smeared everywhere, I am most intrigued with the Queen character. She hasn't said one word before this issue. She seems a child. And yet, I think there is steel in her, conviction. Despite all of Feist's haughty cries about debasing her, I think in the end she will emerge as the leader this place needs.

The art by Justin Greenwood and Eric Jones continues to fit the narrative perfectly. For me, the whole book reads like a movie. From the gritty mud to the battered mugs, with extreme closeups, odd angles and panel shapes, to whirling points of view, I feel like I am reading a film. Everything complements each other. This book crackles. High praise indeed.

On to the book.

Review: Last Siege #2

The Last Siege #2 came out this week and continued to weave a fascinating story of mixing medieval with samurai/spaghetti western sensibilities. A sole castle is holding out against a marauding warlord who is taking over the land. A lone stranger, well versed on martial arts, arrives to the leaderless castle with a decree from the dead king that he is in charge. Whether it is Yojimbo or The Magnificent Seven, a stranger aiding an overmatched land is a well traveled road. But that in medieval times feels fresh.

With the plot established last issue, writer Landry Walker decides to use this second chapter to nudge the story forward as well as giving us character motivation and depth. We are sort of in the same place we were at the end of the last issue but we know have a better sense of where we are going.

Really, the power of this issue is contrasting the stranger and his approach to the situation to that of Feist, the soldier almost put in charge of the castle. One is ordered and strategic. The other is unhinged and brutish. There will be more conflict ahead.

The art by J.K. Greenwood and Eric Jones really complements the plot points extremely well. It is the power of comics! Meshing words and art! There is that raw feel to the proceedings. fitting of the time period. But the Feist sections are intentionally muddy and almost messier, giving Feist a certain feel.
And yes, I got to the store early enough to get this moody Gabriel Hardman variant. Fantastic.

I'm enjoying this book a lot.

Review: The Last Siege

I have been a fan of the creative team of Landry Walker and Eric Jones for some time now, following them from Supergirl Cosmic Adventures to Danger Club and beyond. So when I heard they were being joined by artist Justin Greenwood on the Image book The Last Siege I knew I would be there.

Now Cosmic and Danger Club are two very different styles of books so I didn't know what to expect with The Last Siege. It leans more towards the darker end of the thematic spectrum mixing medieval politics with sword play and desperate battles. I have been trying to come up with a sort of elevator pitch shorthand for the book and I guess I would say it's "Seven Samurai meets Braveheart meets Yojimbo". But even that sells it short for what I am sure will be an exploration of power and the corruption of power throughout the story.

Walker brings the reader into this first issue effectively, going back and forth between two plotlines which are inextricably linked and therefore laying the foundation for what the story is about. In particular, the opening pages are quite cinematic and let's the reader know this isn't going to be a sunny romp.

Greenwood's art is new to me but very much works here. I think of medieval times as a sort of dingy, rough time period and there is a raw quality to the linework here which just puts me into the story. You can feel the grime and grit as warriors battle in the rain.

I'm in and hope you will give it a try.