Die
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Stephanie Hans
From Lord of the Rings references/landscapes to steampunk monsters and costumes to Wizard of Oz style castles, Die is every fantasy lovers‘ wet dream. The concept merges dungeons and dragons with Jumanji/Zathura.
In this new fantasy epic by Image comics a group of six teenagers (Matt, Sol, Dominic, Chuck, Angela, and Isabelle) who find them playing in a very real Dungeon’s and Dragon’s game. They come back to the real world two years later with one missing party member and one member with a missing arm. Fast forward 25 years later and they find the missing party members’ die from the game. Is he alive? Is he dead? Only returning to the world that scarred them will reveal the truth.
Die is truly amazing in the fantasy comic genre. Kieron Gillen does a masterful job in creating a mature themed narrative and reinventing/mashing together a very new, very refreshing fantasy/scifi world. His take on the main characters and their fantasy roles are also very different and hone in on their personalities and their weaknesses rather than their strengths. Examples of this is Matt who is often depressed is given the power to be unstoppable as long he is on the verge of depression/suicidal thoughts or Isabella is given the assistance of different gods even though she is an atheist and has to pay them back somehow when she uses them for help.
Another huge plus is Stephanie Hans’s art. No words can describe how magnificent her panels are and how well her coloring matches the tone of the panel. From her designs on the characters to undead warriors (called the fallen) and steam punk(ish) dragons are jaw dropping and a definite form of art porn. It is some of the most badd ass and most photo realistic art I’ve seen in comics since Alex Ross.
This book has me excited for the next one and the twist at the end is one of the best I’ve read in a while. 4.4/5⭐️
-Eric
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