Birthright #17
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Andrei Bressan
Colored by Adriano Lucas
Lettered by Pat Brosseau
Mikey
Rhodes, warrior of Terrenos and thrall of the evil God King Lore, lays dying on
a mystical healing tablet. His father Aaron and brother Brennan try to watch
over him as a creature called the Nevermind attacks them both. Wendy Rhodes, searching
for Aaron, Brennan and Mikey, finds both winged warrior Rya and herself the
unwilling guests of Mastema, the mage. Meanwhile in his hideout, Sameal
discusses with fellow warrior mage Enoch the real reasons he left the Rhodes
family. The answers he discovers may not be what he wants to hear.
From
the very first issue of Birthright I’ve been hooked. It’s a dark, twisted, genre-blending
of modern day action and high fantasy. From the way the creatures and magic of
Terrenos interact with Earth citizens and law enforcement to the revelation of
Mikey’s true mission, it’s one of the most compelling stories that I’ve read in
recent years. It’s rare that a story featuring a combination of both Earth and
a fantasy world can be handled so expertly. Infamous examples of this premise
failing being “Beastmater 2: Through The Portal Of Time” and “Just Visiting”.
Issue
#17 keeps the dramatic quality high as well as pushes the plot forward, serving
to flesh out for Sameal’s character and motivations. To Aaron, he’s a deadbeat
father; to Mikey, he’s an obstacle to completing [Mikey’s] mission and a bitter
enemy. In Brennan’s eyes, however, Sameal is a possible mentor due to his
connection to magic. Though whether or not that happens remains to be seen. Another interesting detail is the notion that
his stated reasons for abandoning his family may not be as noble as he declares
them to be. The thing about each character in Birthright is how very few
characters are simply one thing aside from Lore, the main villain.
The
intertwining of each subplot from both Earth and Terrenos is the book’s major
strength. Writer Joshua Williamson weaves Mikey’s journey in clues and
flashbacks into the present day narrative expertly, continuing with Rya, the
winged Gideon warrior who is pregnant with Mikey’s child. With Wendy, we learn
more about Mastema and her fellow mages who had abandoned Terrenos to the
bloody hands of God King Lore many years ago. The lesson of the issue almost a
reiteration of the whole series’ themes about responsibility and the costs of
running from it or failing not existing in a vacuum. It’s a thought thrown in
Aaron’s face by The Nevermind entity and Enoch’s line of “You didn’t want to
save your family, you wanted to escape them” rips right through Sameal with its
curtness. I still feel the burn from that scintillating dialogue.
I can’t
compliment enough the artwork by Andrei Bressan. Its graphic detail with each
slice, hit and impalement lends itself well to sword and sorcery settings like
this. In a particularly intense scene, Sameal loses his cool and a table pays
the price in an impactful but dazzling way. And without spoiling, there is a
splash page at the very end that shines with what TV Tropes would call a Taking
“A Level In Badass.” The armor shining in the azure illumination, the magic
radiating through the page, it’s a superb “To be continued” page.
The colors by Adriano Lucas make
the way magic looks distinct with each type of spell cast and is brilliant to
behold. From the red hue in Sameal’s fist, to the green of Ward’s staff in a
flashback, and again to the luminescent bluish white magic on display on the
final page. It also adds menace to the embodiment of Mikey’s hanger-on, The
Nevermind. This looks like a full-on nightmare of the mind, Mikey by way of half
Mike Mignola and half H.P. Lovecraft.
Birthright #17 keeps the good times
and great story rolling with a deep, but honest look at failed fathers, failed
heroes, and the damage they leave behind.
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