The Fellowship was fortunate enough to obtain a copy of BOOK OF DEATH: LEGENDS OF THE GEOMANCER #1 from Valiant Entertainment. Fred Van
Lente writes, Juan Jose Ryp draws and Jordie Bellaire colors.
Anni is a shaman of the tribe of Nergal. She has foreseen
the end of Nergal’s reign, brought about by the earth itself. Nergal’s response
is to sacrifice Anni to appease the earth. On the journey to the place of
sacrifice the party is attacked, though Anni is bound and gagged. They do reach
the temple, but Anni is fierce and cunning, and will not go down without a
fight.
This book does a wonderful job of showing how brutal the
lives of these people can be (the timeframe is not specific, but the weapons
are made of bone and rock). The fight scenes are vicious, and their treatment of
Anni is harsh (except for the warrior Padda, unsurprisingly). The art conveys
this brutality beautifully, with a level of realism that is both refreshing and
shocking.
Will this series explain the mysteries of the geomancer? I
hope not, but I think it will give us a bit of insight as to what the geomancer
means to the Valiant Universe. And it’s a great read, so pick it up.
~Mike ( @MikeyGeek )
