Reyn is a "warden", part of a legendary protectorate of warriors thought to be lost, but he's hardly the errant knight type. He teams up with the sorceress Seph, and the mysterious Followers of Tek to foil a plan by the Venn to destroy the land of Fate. It collects Reyn numbered 1-5.
While interesting I'm not sure I'm going to keep going. I'm a little incredulous about the medieval-cum-spaceship-fantasy-quest thing. I may go a couple issues more to see how it plays out but so far it's not really grabbing me. I generally like Image but I am damn picky about the comic books I read.
An interesting seemingly straightforward tale of a middles ages type fantasy. But, right away there are some odd things part of the story. Are those lizard people with greater tech? What are they up too? Where have the Warden's been? Lots of questions and not a lot of answers but it sets up the story nicely and you'll want to know more. :)
The story follows a skilled swordsman named Reyn and a powerful Tek witch named Seph, on a jurney that takes them from fighting giant burrowing insects, to evading a race of invaders, to running away from guards, over desert, mountain and futuristic installation in a fantasy world where humanity is enslaved by a race called the Venn. There are plenty of funny moments to lighten an otherwise fairly dark atmosphere with a scifi setting in the second half. The story is continued in the second volume.
Reyn is a warden, part of a class of warriors from thousands of years ago that haven't been heard of since the Great Cataclysm when the Venn invaded the world. The wizards of Tek are, in fact, normal men and women employing pre-Cataclysm technology. Their goal is to prevent the Venn from using a device that will plunge the world into complete darkness. They need a warrior in their ranks, so Reyn joins them as they infiltrate a hidden Venn facility. Getting in is less trouble than getting out.
This is a graphic novel set in a time and place that looks like fantasy but has a science fiction component that tells you that something else is going on. Though the homes and villages have a medieval look, and monsters are a hazard in a way that feels like other fantasies, there are examples of high tech that intrude and hint at a truth that is most clearly revealed (no spoilers) at the end of the first volume. It's a pretty good idea and it's handled... okay.
I liked the art and didn't have any strong objection to the story, but it didn't interest me much and I have no inclination to look for the rest of the series. I suppose I'd read them if they were beside me on the couch, or if I were waiting in a dentist's office and they were available, but that's not much recommendation.
Read if you like colorful lizard people. They were the best part.
No idea what this was about going in. The cover made me pick it up from the library.
The artwork is good, the story if pretty wild though. Starts out telling of a lost band of protectors called Wardens and suddenly one shows up to kill a giant monster. From there things get crazy.
The Warden Reyn has a voice guiding him so he looks bonkers talking to himself, the voice seems helpful though.
As the story unfolds it has swords, warriors, monsters, robots, guns and a giant spaceship.
I will be starting book two right away because this left me with a lot of questions.
This was not at all what I expected. Or, it was to start with. But then, suddenly... Space?
I'm left feeling "Whaaaat?" and I adore that feeling. It was great! It's not often that books or graphic novels can surprise me these days, without a sudden twist in character so this was a pleasant surprise.
Great for fantasy and for sci-fi fans. I definitely have people in my life to recommend it to!
Also forgot to add that one of my favourite things about this graphic novel is the diversity of the cast. Wonderful to see!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was ok but not great. Blending Sci Fi and fantasy seems to be a big thing in comics at the moment but this one just sort of tries to smash them together in an odd way. I'm really not sure about it. It's really action packed so if that's your thing knock yourself out but there wasn't much character development, I guess that's going to come in later volumes. But I don't think I'll be continuing.
I almost gave this a 1 star review. I could have probably forgiven the generic feel of the story if it wasn't for the overly simple art that just felt completely uninspired.
I'm certain someone out there will enjoy this book, but that someone was not me.
What starts as a fairly standard fantasy tale quickly expands into something more, and this TPB ends with an excellent twist that makes me really want to get my hands on volume 2.