Birdking Volume 2

Birdking

by Daniel Freedman, CROM (Illustrator)

From the creators of Raiders, Daniel Freedman and CROM, comes this second installment of the dark fantasy graphic novel of epic adventure and magic.

Bianca and Birdking continue their quest to reach Atlas, entering the domain of Hinnom, an insurmountable mountain range that is the birthplace of a dead dark empire and the battlefield in the war between the kingdoms of the North and South. Old friends, new allies, and scores of enemies await them there. No one has ever crossed Hinnom alive. But Bianca and Birdking might just make it. Then again, maybe they won’t.

Genres: Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Adventure, Fiction

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

More about the little girl with the very un-fantasy-y name, and her gentle wraith defender. More worldbuilding, more higherer stakes. More personal character stuff, which felt a bit rushed.

Maybe not as good as the first volume, but still very good.

(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Hosein · Rating 2 out of 5]

طراحی و نقدهای خوبش گولم زدن. قسمت اول متوسط بود، اما قسمت دوم وقتمو تلف کرد.
اینطوریه که فانتزی حماسی دقیقا بهترین ژانر برای کمیک نیست. توی فانتزی حماسی ما معمولا متن‌های طولانی رو داریم که کمک می‌کنن به دنیاسازی، معرفی سیستم جادو، توضیح تاریخ و پیش زمینه نژادها و شخصیت‌ها و در کل، داستان وقت داره پخته بشه. بهترین داستان‌های فانتزی حماسی برای من اونایین که با دقت زیاد اطلاعات رو می‌دن و روایت بین اونا گم نمی‌شه (مثلا داستان‌های جو ابرکرومبی خوب، برندون سندرسون بد). دلیل اینکه اعتقاد دارم فُرم کمیک برای فانتزی حماسی مناسب نیست اینه که معمولا اونایی که خوندم سعی کردن حجم کمی داشته باشن، از اون سمت هم کارهاییه که روی چیزهای دیگه تمرکز دارن، نه اون مواردی که باعث میشه فانتزی حماسی جالب بشه.

کمیک بردکینگ هم دقیقا همین مشکل رو داره. خیلی اسم پرت می‌کنه اون وسط، در موردشونم توضیح می‌ده ولی همیشه در حد یکی دوتا جمله‌س. برای همین از شخصیت‌پردازی‌هاش کم می‌کنه. کاراکترها کمترین اهمیتی پیدا نمی‌کنن و ما چهره‌های تکراری رو می‌بینیم، بدون اینکه جایی عمق پیدا کنن. روایت هم به سختی سعی می‌کنه توی کمیک بمونه، اما بیشتر وقتا معلوم نیست چه اتفاقی داره میوفته، چون ما بخش بزرگی از اطلاعات رو دریافت نکردیم. توی دیالوگ‌ها هم بیشتر چیزهای احساسی و ناچندان مهم برای بار صدم تکرار می‌شن تا هیچ کمکی به اون مشکل نشه. داستان به شدت عقب میمونه از "اهمیت" پیدا کردن، چیزی که واقعا بهش نیاز داره.
شاید اگه هفت-هشت جلد ازش بیاد و همه رو بخونم نظرم عوض بشه، ولی فعلا که دو جلدش اومده چیزی نیست که جالب باشه.

ولی طراحیا خوبن. نمی‌‌تونم بگم تمام پنل‌ها جالبن چون مشخصه که برای خیلی از صفحات وقت کمی گذاشته شده. اما خیلی صحنه‌های خوبی داره که از لحاظ ویژوال برای من جذاب بودن.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was dramatic! After setting up our plot in vol one, the real adventure begins here, and it's a doozy. Marching to the front, braving caves like the fellowship, a giant flesh worm monster out of Bloodborne, and wraith on wraith combat! With such a smash cut ending, I'm actually on the hook for a inevitable vol 3.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picks right up from where volume one left off, with Bianca and BK venturing into the mountains to get to Atlas. Of course, the mountains are smack dab in the middle of the war zone, so they have to sneak through the Dark Lord's camp to get to the entrance to an underground world.

So far, so Lord of the Rings - which isn't a bad thing! Birdking is 100% stock standard grimdark fantasy and all the better for it. Bianca finds both her best friend (Amelya) and her mother (now a witch in the Dark Lord's army), which comes as no surprise, but certain drew a smile from me. As the expanded group venture into the underground, they encounter fresh terrors. And will Atlas actually hold the safety and security they desire? Tune in next volume!

[Kytana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pacing picked up in this volume quite a bit (maybe a tad rushed/heavy exposition) and we meet a-lot of new characters. We then loose a-lot of said new characters in some pretty bloody ways.🫣

Trying to not give too much away but if you’re debating about reading this sophomore volume, I say do it. The world building and story continue to expand and while some questions are answered , more are being made for the reader to chew on. At the end of the day, all I really care about is Bianca’s and BK’s overall well being and well……it’s looking kinda rough right now for our giant tin can and smol blacksmith.

Excited for volume 3!

[Alex Sarll]

As with Head Lopper, part of the current wave of sword-swinging fantasy comics whose stories may not be remotely original, but whose visuals - the giant wraith of the title, the lost empire under the mountains - are suitably appealing that it doesn't particularly matter.

[Flavien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah le mystère s'épaissit ! Très content de cette suite qui, bien qu'elle reprenne à nouveau des schémas et des idées déjà bien exploités en fantasy, est très agréable à lire. L'univers me fait un peu plus penser à celui des jeux Diablo à présent.
À nouveau big up au petit carnet graphique final qui est fortement apprécié.
Chers ''Les humanoïdes associés'', vite publiez donc la suite !

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plus d’intrigues et d’histoires révélées dans ce 2e volume. Les ennemis et créatures sont nettement bien imagés.
L’artiste CROM parvient à poursuivre ces belles images.

“The king who refused ? Who broke his promises. And paid the price.” • §₽38

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining sequel to the very solid first volume. Birdking follows the adventures of a young blacksmith apprentice who befriends an entity known as the Birdking. They are on a quest to seek out the lands of Atlas, which forces them to cross an insurmountable mountain range known to be the domain of Hinnom. Much of this volume is focused on Bianca and Birdking's treacherous journey into the mountain range where they learn of a former empire that lays in ruins following a historic battle of ages past. Like the previous volume, this series isn't afraid to put in the work with respect to world-building, most of which is done in a not-so heavy-handed way and without the reliance of too much exposition. It also doesn't offer much more than the typical dark fantasy setting, but it's reliably entertaining and features the great Mignola/McLean influenced artwork of CROM.

Another solid entry and worth checking out if you were a fan of the first volume.

[Jack Reickel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good fantasy series. Good characters, good world, and even with characters making decisions that make sense to me, it's still keeping me guessing. The art is strong as well, and also makes me want to revisit HEADLOPPER for more similar such art.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet and fun gem! The art style really itches a specific spot in my brain. And the action is just always killer. Great series.

[Mitchell Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good follow up

The pace definitely picks up in this one. I enjoyed it. Something about the art is just so unique, and the story is still interesting enough to keep me invested.

[Abbie Chesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume sucked me in so well that I had to read the next volume. CROM is such an amazing artist and even if high fantasy, epics aren't your think, the artwork is a good enough reason to read this series. Don't pass up this story just because its for "teens" its super engaging and has the most lovable characters!

I do feel conflicted about Bianca and her mother's storyline. I love that the story introduces a complicated mother figure who subverts a lot of the traditional mother stereotypes. Her mother is incredibly independent and chose to prioritize her own goals over motherhood which isn't a storyline that I see very often. Bianca's confusion with her feelings for her mother after finding out she left her intentionally was heartbreaking and felt really REAL. I think its honestly really good writing I just wish we could have had more time of them together. The struggle that Bianca feels is super palpable and translates to the reader which left me feeling just as conflicted and confused as her. Part of me loves to see a women be her own person and choose what she feels is best for her but the other half is devastated for how this affects Bianca.

This story has a lot of themes of parents and parent figures so its fitting to write in a storyline that highlights how often in pursuit of their own joy, parents can really hurt their own children. I don't think its worth to get into all the who is right and what her mother should have done because I think the point is to go on the journey with Bianca as she navigates the loss of all of her parental figures (parents, Thonir, BirdKing for time, and even Atlas).

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very *eh* for me. It has a lot of good qualities - interesting characters, political intrigue, freaky monsters - but the whole product failed to feel like it provided much new as a reader. The art is fine. Designs of large creatures like the wraiths and the cave monster are good, but the execution from panel to panel can vary widely, and occasionally I felt like the art, instead of looking unpolished and raw, looked more unfinished and incomplete. The writing, likewise, has some good dialogue between characters, but the plot as a whole is just too similar to typical fantasy stories (especially Lord of the Rings) to really engage me.

I'll probably stop my Birdking read here. It's not bad, but it's not that good, either. I definitely would love to see other work by the author and artist, because it's clear they're capable of interesting material. This book just isn't that, for me. I'd recommend it to my friend Russ, because he might appreciate the art more than I would, though I think he would enjoy the plot loss than I did.

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quest continues as Bianca and the Birdking continue their attempt to get to Atlas.

After the last volume, the duo continue on their way and actually make some good headway. They meet up with old friends and new, and in an even bigger twist find Bianca's long lost mom! However, tragedy strikes when they have to go beneath the mountain - mines of Moria style - and have to escape much in the same way as Frodo and company.

Daniel Freedman continues to give us a story that, while not wildly original, is still very entertaining. It's full of imagination and heart, and I feel that really carries the story forward. Well that, and the great art by Crom who provides some fun yet creepy visuals along the way. The creative team is firing on all cylinders as this volume felt much more confident in its execution.

Look forward to reading volume 3.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first volume in this fantasy comix series, which ended with a feisty young blacksmith's apprentice leaving home in the company of the titular supernatural champion. She is seeking out a southern land where life is supposedly better than the perpetual warfare that dominates the six northern human lands. As in the first book, not all the information is spoon-fed, so some aspects of what's going on can be unclear. Our heroine is reunited with people from her past and there's a cool big subterranean dungeon crawl with a gross boss monster. I really like the art overall, but elements of the big fight scenes were hard for me to decipher. Will definitely be picking up volume 3 to see what happens next!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

More development as Bianca and Birdking continue their journey. Passing through war camps and underground mountains, through a city forgotten in books and memory, and out again. The underground portion did remind me a bit of Lord of the Rings as they went through Moria since both were in ruined underground cities of a people long dead, both encountered a surprising large monster, and both mourned a loss on the other end.

I continue to enjoy the art and creatures in Birdking and I look forward to the next part of their quest.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 2 continues to be a fun and creatively imagined bit of punk-y modern dark fantasy, even as it’s still broadly familiar to a lot of other creator-owned comics from the past several years. I guess that sounds damning with faint praise, but it’s a great read if you’re up for that. This time we get a cool Lord of the Rings jaunt into a Moria-like underground plus family revelations. Crom’s Mignola-esque art remains a treat.

[Travis Duke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Birdking vol.1, so I have been waiting for this, and it does not disappoint! Vol.2 continues the story of Bianca on her quest with Birdking. This has a lord of the rings Moria vibe and I loved every panel. If you like fantasy with a sort of 90's RPG, LOTR vibe, then this is for you. I really like Crom's art, it is just perfect for the book. More Birdking please!

[Markéta Effenbergerová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmm, we got some lovely monsters and fighting god-like creatures in vol. 2, proper Dark Souls style, and I'm all up for it.
Every page is a treat and every line drawn is like a rain of blood on the dark altar that is my brain. Slurping the good soup like a hungry wraith.
Can't wait to get my hands on vol. 3 🖤

[Charles-Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

La quête de Bianca et de son gros spectre badass continue dans cet univers sinistre et vulgaire. Peu de lueur dans cette histoire qui suit finalement assez fidèlement les codes de la dark fantasy classique, mais avec un ton propre, un graphisme glauque et une identité visuelle vraiment forte. L’aventure continue !

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like yourself some Lord of the Rings type fantasy, this is a good yarn. We get some mines of Moria echoes in this volume as Bianca and the Birdking continue their odyssey to escape the war and get to Atlas.

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine continuation of the story. There is a blatant rip-off of the "you cannot pass!" scene from LOTR.

Great artwork by CROM. He reminds me of guys like Mignola and DWJ but has his own unique style. Definitely looking forward to more work by him.

[Zach Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent volume 2! Art style remains a big draw and the slow reveal of the setting's history is very cool. I think the writing is a bit improved from volume 1. Couldn't put it down and ended up reading in one sitting.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Lars Put · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love all the artwork. I am curious where this quest will lead, but i was happily surprised by all the twists and turns volume 2 took. Can't wait for volume 3!

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic!!

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

ahhh this was so sick

[Χρύσα Αναστασίου · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the artwork so much! The story felt a bit rushed at some points but overall we got to meet some new characters and learn some new things. Cannot wait for vol.3!

[Cadillac Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Birdking! So good!