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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Valen the Outcast 1-3


Writer: Michael Alan Nelson
Artist: Matteo Scalera


Give me a comic with a zombie protagonist a little sword and sorcery and I’m yours. King Valen Brand was a just king and a great warrior until he was killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm, an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul…..Yes Valen isn’t technically a zombie. More accurately, he is the undead puppet of the evil necromancer Korrus Null. No shambling around or calling for brains. As the opening pages of issue #1 show, he has found a way to temporarily escape the necromancer’s control.
Now Valen is on a quest to return to his kingdom of Oakhaven, which is now under siege by armies vying for his throne, with the exception of Zjanna, an intriguing witch who aids him with a magical tattoo, Valen is on his own. He also inspires fear and violence wherever he goes since he is considered an abomination.
There are a lot of great moments in these three issues. Michael Alan Nelson has written a great script that entertains and sets up the premise of the entire series. A blend of equal parts epic fantasy and sword-and-sorcery. Think Game of Thrones or Conan.
The art in these first three issues was great for the most part, but, I did find a few panels to be a little cloudy. The action scenes are depicted perfectly. I love the character designs and the vibrance that they all have on each page. Everything seems like it should be. No carbon copies or art that makes you say that’s not how this or that should look.
I’m very pleased with the story and the art of this book. And again, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy stories, especially those who enjoy something dark and gritty.


By: Cody "Madman" Miller

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