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Coda #3
Coda, Vol. 3
The final chapter in the critically-acclaimed “broken fantasy” series by Eisner-nominated creator Simon Spurrier (The Spire, Six-Gun Gorilla) and illustrator Matías Bergara (Supergirl, Cannibal).
Hum is at rock bottom. His estranged wife has left him for good. He’s stuck in the middle of the harsh desert wastelands. And he’s even been abandoned by his mutant unicorn. But just as the world saw another tomorrow after the disastrous Quench...life goes on. Now, the former bard must discover for himself what it means to live -- to truly live -- in a broken fantasy.
Written by Eisner Award-nominated author Simon Spurrier (Sandman Universe, The Spire) and beautifully illustrated by artist Matías Bergara (Supergirl, Cannibal), Coda Volume Three concludes the critically-acclaimed series that elevates the best of the dystopian fantasy genre into an engaging, emotional tale.
Hum is at rock bottom. His estranged wife has left him for good. He’s stuck in the middle of the harsh desert wastelands. And he’s even been abandoned by his mutant unicorn. But just as the world saw another tomorrow after the disastrous Quench...life goes on. Now, the former bard must discover for himself what it means to live -- to truly live -- in a broken fantasy.
Written by Eisner Award-nominated author Simon Spurrier (Sandman Universe, The Spire) and beautifully illustrated by artist Matías Bergara (Supergirl, Cannibal), Coda Volume Three concludes the critically-acclaimed series that elevates the best of the dystopian fantasy genre into an engaging, emotional tale.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2019
6 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
March 4, 2022
Pretty decent ending to the title.
The art was still an issue but I was invested enough in finishing the story that it was just a background annoyance.
I wanted to find if our bard and his heroic berserker of a wife end up together, or if she gets pissed off and tears him limb from limb.
Everything gets wrapped up nicely without making things too unbelievably tidy. I liked it all well enough to give Spurrier another try at a later date.
The art was still an issue but I was invested enough in finishing the story that it was just a background annoyance.
I wanted to find if our bard and his heroic berserker of a wife end up together, or if she gets pissed off and tears him limb from limb.
Everything gets wrapped up nicely without making things too unbelievably tidy. I liked it all well enough to give Spurrier another try at a later date.
June 17, 2020
Bullet Review:
Thanks to the pandemic, it’s been long enough since the last volume, I almost don’t remember what was going on. But eventually, I found a cadence and damn if this doesn’t end on a bittersweet note - you know that one where you go “it’s done? DANG!”
Thanks to the pandemic, it’s been long enough since the last volume, I almost don’t remember what was going on. But eventually, I found a cadence and damn if this doesn’t end on a bittersweet note - you know that one where you go “it’s done? DANG!”
October 13, 2019
[This review covers the entirety of Coda #1-12]
Coda is the latest creation from the insane mind of Simon Spurrier. In a world where magic is scarce and the only way to survive is to be extremely selfish, Hum the bard tries his best to save his wife...from herself. But like any story, it's not that straight forward. Because of course it's not.
I'm sure if you ran Si Spurrier through a wrangle, he'd bleed sarcasm. His wit is even more evident in this story than in almost any of his other work, and that's saying something, but it's all the more enjoyable as a result. Spurrier manages to build an entire fantasy world through the eyes of Hum without even trying, as the poor guy tries to do what he thinks is best while missing the biggest picture of them all right until it's too late. It's both an intensely personal story and a sweeping fantasy epic and the fact that it manages to be both in equal measure is pretty impressive, especially without losing the heart of the story, which is Hum and his wife Serka, who remains a presence in the story even when she's not actually around.
The art in all twelve issues is by Mattias Bergara, whose paintbrush works overtime as he swathes colours like they're going out of style. The proceedings are as varied as the palette, going from gross-out to beautiful and back again, sometimes all on the same page. It can get a little fast and loose at times, but there's never a sense that Bergara's lost control, just that he's having so much fun that it's translating to the page in a unique manner.
Coda's a clever little book. It's many things, all at once, and it does them all wonderfully well. Across these twelve issues, Hum's world changes more than once, and while a coda is meant to be an ending, it'll definitely be on your mind long after the series is over.
Coda is the latest creation from the insane mind of Simon Spurrier. In a world where magic is scarce and the only way to survive is to be extremely selfish, Hum the bard tries his best to save his wife...from herself. But like any story, it's not that straight forward. Because of course it's not.
I'm sure if you ran Si Spurrier through a wrangle, he'd bleed sarcasm. His wit is even more evident in this story than in almost any of his other work, and that's saying something, but it's all the more enjoyable as a result. Spurrier manages to build an entire fantasy world through the eyes of Hum without even trying, as the poor guy tries to do what he thinks is best while missing the biggest picture of them all right until it's too late. It's both an intensely personal story and a sweeping fantasy epic and the fact that it manages to be both in equal measure is pretty impressive, especially without losing the heart of the story, which is Hum and his wife Serka, who remains a presence in the story even when she's not actually around.
The art in all twelve issues is by Mattias Bergara, whose paintbrush works overtime as he swathes colours like they're going out of style. The proceedings are as varied as the palette, going from gross-out to beautiful and back again, sometimes all on the same page. It can get a little fast and loose at times, but there's never a sense that Bergara's lost control, just that he's having so much fun that it's translating to the page in a unique manner.
Coda's a clever little book. It's many things, all at once, and it does them all wonderfully well. Across these twelve issues, Hum's world changes more than once, and while a coda is meant to be an ending, it'll definitely be on your mind long after the series is over.
February 8, 2021
After the events of the last volume, Hm tries to move on with his life only to find treachery and deceit shattering his hopes for an uneventful, and uninspired life.
Simon Spurrier created a world that feels old and lived in. In three volumes, it feels like something that has its own rules and history. So when the end game starts being set into motion with volume 3, you see how Spurrier has been laying the ground work and making connections here and there to culminate in the climax. Because as much as Hm doesn't want a quest or even worse, to be a hero, deep down, he knows he cant just stand by and not do anything. He is a hero in that he does what he can to help those around him. Even if he mutters to himself how stupid it is.
The real "hero" is his wife Serka, who is also not into the bombastic notion of a hero, but she really is the person who would be closest to the traditional definition of a hero. Which leads me to the next thing about the series that I really like, the characters. There is a diverse and interesting cast in this book that plays off of Hm really well. From bandits, to innocent kids, to perpetually dying elves, and many more... there's a lot to play off as far as characterization.
Of course I'd be remiss to not mention the work of Matías Bergara. I think this is easily my favorite volume art-wise. His first arc was a bit messy, but energetic. This final one, the line work is much smoother and easier to digest. It however, doesn't sacrifice the energy for the linework. Instead, he finds a way to have each aspect of the art elevate the other, and have a really interesting and beautiful book as a result.
Overall, a really fun, imaginative, funny, and action packed story that you can't miss if you are a fan of Fantasy settings.
Simon Spurrier created a world that feels old and lived in. In three volumes, it feels like something that has its own rules and history. So when the end game starts being set into motion with volume 3, you see how Spurrier has been laying the ground work and making connections here and there to culminate in the climax. Because as much as Hm doesn't want a quest or even worse, to be a hero, deep down, he knows he cant just stand by and not do anything. He is a hero in that he does what he can to help those around him. Even if he mutters to himself how stupid it is.
The real "hero" is his wife Serka, who is also not into the bombastic notion of a hero, but she really is the person who would be closest to the traditional definition of a hero. Which leads me to the next thing about the series that I really like, the characters. There is a diverse and interesting cast in this book that plays off of Hm really well. From bandits, to innocent kids, to perpetually dying elves, and many more... there's a lot to play off as far as characterization.
Of course I'd be remiss to not mention the work of Matías Bergara. I think this is easily my favorite volume art-wise. His first arc was a bit messy, but energetic. This final one, the line work is much smoother and easier to digest. It however, doesn't sacrifice the energy for the linework. Instead, he finds a way to have each aspect of the art elevate the other, and have a really interesting and beautiful book as a result.
Overall, a really fun, imaginative, funny, and action packed story that you can't miss if you are a fan of Fantasy settings.
March 24, 2020
Estamos ante uno de los más hermosos y redondos cómics de lo que va del Siglo XXI y no me tiembla el pulso al escribirlo. Una reinvención de la fantasía heroica pasada por el tamiz de los postapocalíptico -cómo si el mundo de El Señor de los Anillos explotara y terminara en el de Mad Max dije en las reseñas anteriores y qué sentido tendría buscar otra analogía- que en sus primeros ocho números nos presentó a Hum, un bardo que ya no canta canciones ni cuenta leyendas, uno de los pocos sobrevivientes en este páramo que alguna vez fue un mundo mágico, obsesionado con rescatar a su esposa (que, claramente, no necesita ser rescatada). Lo cierto es que para mi, por razones de amistad, Coda era muy importante. Porque se trataba de la consagración total y absoluta de Matías Bergara, uno de los mejores dibujantes uruguayos que existe, logrando volar a la altura y con el reconocimiento que bien se merece (nominado a un Premio Eisner por este trabajo, por si cabe alguna duda de mi objetividad) y no hay más que ver las hermosas páginas, las secuencias vertiginosas, los personajes hermosamente expresivos, para entender que sí, efectivamente estamos ante ese trabajo. Pero lo que yo no podía esperar es que el guión de Simon Spurrier -a quien conocí por este trabajo- estuviera a la altura, y más, de lo que esos espectaculares dibujos proponían. Spurrier ya había deslumbrado con la creación del universo y luego había transformado esta historia en un relato de amor (tóxico me podrán decir, pero no faltaba amor ahí tampoco). Ahora, en el tercio final de su historia, se desdobla y vuelve a sorprender, revelando que mucho de lo que vimos, que nos pareció casual o apenas incidental, es parte de un gran esquema, un enorme plan de este guionista que termina redoblando su apuesta y llevando su mundo devastado a un nuevo momento de todo o nada. El dibujo iba a ser notable, ya lo sabía. Que el guión estuviera maravillosamente a la altura es una sorpresa extremadamente grata. Lean Coda, se los recomiendo de todo corazón.
January 20, 2022
It all comes together.
After vol 2 and where we had last left our hero Hum, I didnt really know what the series was gonna do. Thankfully vol 3 ties everything together perfectly. Lots of twist and turns but nothing too obvious. Even when it does get a bit cliche, they throw something else wild at you. I really enjoyed the series and cant believe what a fun ride it was. Hope they do a sweet omnibus for it soon!
After vol 2 and where we had last left our hero Hum, I didnt really know what the series was gonna do. Thankfully vol 3 ties everything together perfectly. Lots of twist and turns but nothing too obvious. Even when it does get a bit cliche, they throw something else wild at you. I really enjoyed the series and cant believe what a fun ride it was. Hope they do a sweet omnibus for it soon!
November 22, 2020
An unexpectedly delightful "broken" epic fantasy in the tradition of old post-apocalyptic cartoons from the 80s. The 12-issue series (contained in three trade paperback volumes) is a complete, self-contained story, of Hum, a taciturn bard married to a purple-skinned OrcUrkken warrior who occasionally goes berserk and turns into a death-dealing murder machine. Hum wants to "cure" his wife, who it turns out, does not want to be cured. In betraying her wishes, he gets betrayed, and in refusing to do heroic things, finds himself forced to be a hero. In some ways all these characters are archetypes, from the reluctant hero who pretends to be aloof and nihilistic but is actually a softie, to the street urchin who looks up to him to save her, to the treacherous scalliwag mermaid merchant who seems like maybe she's kind of okay despite being a treacherous scalliwag but... nope, she's a treacherous scalliwag all the way through.
What the series delivers on is both Matias Bergara's unique and colorful art (which admittedly sometimes makes the action scenes hard to decipher, what with the blood and entrails exploding across the page like a technicolor projectile yawn) and actual resolutions, with hope and heartwarming soliloquies and clever one-liners and heroes who get to be heroes after all. And lots and lots of weird vaguely sciencey magic. It's an epic fantasy for people who don't have the patience to read a proper GRRM or Brandon Sanderson epic fantasy, but it's got a host of cleverly twisted archetypal fantasy characters.
What the series delivers on is both Matias Bergara's unique and colorful art (which admittedly sometimes makes the action scenes hard to decipher, what with the blood and entrails exploding across the page like a technicolor projectile yawn) and actual resolutions, with hope and heartwarming soliloquies and clever one-liners and heroes who get to be heroes after all. And lots and lots of weird vaguely sciencey magic. It's an epic fantasy for people who don't have the patience to read a proper GRRM or Brandon Sanderson epic fantasy, but it's got a host of cleverly twisted archetypal fantasy characters.
February 5, 2020
(4,4 for a great ending of awesome postapocalyptic/fantasy mashup)
Take what I wrote with the second volume and multiply it by 1,5. Coda got more intense, more dramatic and it's the grand finale we could expect. There are losses, there are winnings but I'm spoiling anything by saying there is a happy ending after all. I would expect a less happy one, but it fits the circumstances and development of the story. Coda confirms that if the comic series starts slowly its worthy to give it time. If the series started spectacularly and then it gots dull, it's probably time to stop. I'm happy that I gave Coda a chance - it was a good ride, the story is interesting and thrilling and I really enjoyed it and all of its twists.
Take what I wrote with the second volume and multiply it by 1,5. Coda got more intense, more dramatic and it's the grand finale we could expect. There are losses, there are winnings but I'm spoiling anything by saying there is a happy ending after all. I would expect a less happy one, but it fits the circumstances and development of the story. Coda confirms that if the comic series starts slowly its worthy to give it time. If the series started spectacularly and then it gots dull, it's probably time to stop. I'm happy that I gave Coda a chance - it was a good ride, the story is interesting and thrilling and I really enjoyed it and all of its twists.
October 5, 2021
Coda was a series I enjoyed from book 1, but I wasn't sure how it was all going to end...but the finale was the cherry on top - not just the epic battle, but how the twists and turns from the first two books paid off in a way I did not expect. A great limited series.
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February 12, 2021The final volume sees the devious bard who's been narrating the series continuing his journal, but this time vowing not to lie to himself anymore - which, for a Spurrier protagonist, means an awful lot of crossing out. "Everything is awful, my head weighs a ton, my heart hurts.[...]Still, you have to look on the bright side. At least there's nowhere left to sink when you're at rock bottom." And then, like any inhabitant of the 2020s, he's reminded things can always get worse. "That's got to be the trick, right? Just keep going, keep going until you forget there's no 'from' and no 'to', and ignore the reminders of what's been lost." Because the setting is still the hangover after the finale of a traditional epic fantasy, but because people are people, even when they're not strictly human, there remains plenty of ghastliness and carnage to be unleashed – and often the horror of the first reveal (Bergara's infant mermaids are the least cherubic thing you ever did see) is such that you don't even realise there's another shoe still to drop. On a personal level, the daft bastard of a lead has fucked everything up with his wife, and now his only option seems to be turning propagandist for a new tyrant. "And when you're trapped and bored and guilty and lonely – you can trust me on this – it's easier to think about anything than an empty tomorrow". Ain't that the truth. If I have a complaint, it's that I didn't altogether buy the final issue's note of optimism and redemption, but that's less a fault in the work than a result of me reading it nearly a year after I lost the ability to hope.
November 11, 2019
Wow, just wow. This series seems to have wrapped up completely in just 3 trade volumes, and did so *fabulously*. Surprising double-crosses (multiple) are revealed, and three ridiculously clever hacks by the protagonist, then actually even managed some commentary on society and relationships without ham-fisting either. Really hoping this team does another project together in the future!
August 18, 2020
"Things don't have to be remembered to be worth doing."
This ending was sooooo good! I can't remember the last time I was this satisfied by the end of a series. There will be a lot of spoilers if I go into detail, but if you like post-apocalyptic fantasy, this is one of the best graphic series I've read in the genre.
This ending was sooooo good! I can't remember the last time I was this satisfied by the end of a series. There will be a lot of spoilers if I go into detail, but if you like post-apocalyptic fantasy, this is one of the best graphic series I've read in the genre.
March 18, 2022
Final a todo trapo con protagonistas y giros inesperados. Los diálogos son profundos, los personajes están llenos de matices.
Los dibujos y el universo creado son de alto vuelo. Tan buena es esta serie que deja con ganas de más.
Los dibujos y el universo creado son de alto vuelo. Tan buena es esta serie que deja con ganas de más.
March 7, 2020
Dokonalé ukončenie trilógie, ktorú odporúčam prečítať každému, kto je presýtený klišoidným, dokola sa postavami/scenériami opakujúcim sa fantasy. Samozrejme, aj tu máme svojho hrdinu, máme tu jeho ženušku, máme tu záporáka a všetci vieme dopredu ako to skončí, ale celá tá cesta k tomu vedie tak skvelým rozprávaním a zápletkami, že naozaj v tom to čaro vidíte na konci. Spurrierove veci vnímam z väčšiny ako čistý priemer na poobedné vyplnenie času; táto séria je naozaj skvost v jeho dielach, pričom veľkú zásluhu ma na tom naozaj divná, pestrofarebná kresba.
February 6, 2022
What a fabulous ending to the trilogy. Throughout this postapocalyptic-fantasy mashup, Spurrier has relied on his audience being well-versed enough in the tropes of epic fantasy to recognize and appreciate the many clever ways he aims to blast them into smithereens. And Bergara's art is weird, vivid, unhinged and beautiful, heightening the drama. The story and art are not always pretty or neat, but certainly thrilling. The most surprising part is that after all the messy and intense dramatics of the grand finale, there's a happy ending after all. I don't know why I expected bleakness - I should have known Coda would go out in a riotous blaze of affirmation of everything that's worth fighting and living for, after all. "Things don't have to be remembered to be worth doing."
February 10, 2021
AAAAAA this was so fucking good!!!
December 12, 2020
Now, that was FUN. The illustrations are engaging. You find yourself drawn into them, trying to suss out the detail from the dissonance. Encourages me to get back to my cartooning. These graphic novels very much do that, inspiring in that way. Good ending to the series.
August 15, 2020
Continues to deepen and expand its world and characters in a fun and satisfying way that dodged my expectations. A satisfying conclusion to a really fun fantastical romp.
July 26, 2024
⁸Does a great job of wrapping up the story. The loose ends and unresolved elements from Vol1 and Vol2 are covered and tie the plot together without feeling artificially forced, and even side jokes get a pay off.
The diary/narration concept, the dragon (scratch my arse), the creepy one-mind henchmen, all satisfyingly get call backs, shifts or revealed as part of the sneaky behind the scenes scheme.
The art is still hit and miss for me. Some panels are beautifully striking, utilising contrasting colours and interesting shapes and lighting. However, any time there's a busy scene it can be difficult to pick out details. My artist friend tells me the composition is busy, there's a lack of value separation, and monochromatic colouring, which all add together to create this issue. It's not enough to ruin the book, but can be frustrating when those panels come along.
Thinking about all 3 volumes as one book, I'd give it 4.5stars, it's a slightly slow start but nails the landing.
The diary/narration concept, the dragon (scratch my arse), the creepy one-mind henchmen, all satisfyingly get call backs, shifts or revealed as part of the sneaky behind the scenes scheme.
The art is still hit and miss for me. Some panels are beautifully striking, utilising contrasting colours and interesting shapes and lighting. However, any time there's a busy scene it can be difficult to pick out details. My artist friend tells me the composition is busy, there's a lack of value separation, and monochromatic colouring, which all add together to create this issue. It's not enough to ruin the book, but can be frustrating when those panels come along.
Thinking about all 3 volumes as one book, I'd give it 4.5stars, it's a slightly slow start but nails the landing.
February 9, 2022
This is my favorite graphic novel series. I love the characters, the world-building, the creative panel work, the color scheme, the dialogue, the chaos of the art (it takes more time per page for me to read compared to any other graphic novel), how unpredictable the plot was, and the overall messaging/morals. 10/10 would recommend for my fantasy peeps!!!!!
August 10, 2020
Good ending with many possibilities for more stories later. The bard was great and a four way conflict was also fun to read through. Artwork was muddled at times but shone through at ket points in the story.
June 16, 2020
Oh. The plot twist with who the big bad was all along. I feel like i should have seen it coming... But I didn't and I'm so glad I didn't.
Also. There's a dragon toward the end. And it made me laugh. I laughed a lot reading the 3rd volume.
Also. There's a dragon toward the end. And it made me laugh. I laughed a lot reading the 3rd volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2021
The paper quality in this one is magical.
The story is pretty good too.
The story is pretty good too.
February 11, 2021
Vă mai amintiți de dragonul pe care nu-l scărpina nimeni în cur? Ei bine, e un personaj esențial în acest volum :) Spurrier apasă pedala de accelerație, sunt răsturnări de situație la fiecare cinci pagini, toate facțiunile luptă cu toate facțiunile, și finalul e un clișeu total, dar tot mi-a plăcut. Doar de aia citim povești cu zâne, nu? :)
May 25, 2023
Wow. Talk about tying up so many story threads, including little things I didn't even realize would come back into play, in such an incredibly satisfying way. Loved it!
November 27, 2023
Maravilloso final de la obra de Spurrier y Bergara. Espero que la continuación que empezaron éste año siga a la altura porque el final es bastante redondo.
October 14, 2020
A helluva satisfying read, but I'll get to the story in a minute. First: praise for the intricately fantastical art that's both inspiring and a bit hard to dicipher at times, but worth sitting there scrutinizing at with squinty eyes, shifting from one angle to the next to try to catch the light and unveil the mastery within. Unlike a lot of comics these days, you don't have to look any further than the cover to see what you're getting. Awing stuff with a delicate color pallet that really sets the atmosphere, but also might be the culprit as far as what made it a bit difficult to discern what the flying heptacorn was really going on in some panels. Regardless, titillating stuff.
Now: The yarn. Fun, funny, witty, and original, with a plot that any number of clever, multi-syllable adjectives could accurately describe-- No, scratch that. I'm not so sure there are "a number" of adjectives that could ACCURATELY describe the plot, seeing that the fucking thing had more twists and turns than a bowl full of spiral-shaped noodles. Ok... maybe not that many...but definitely enough to keep you on your toes. Insightful, touching, tricky, rollercoaster-y, and, as I already mentioned, damn satisfying. An ending that feels complete. It's a full-on continuation from the previous volumes so you can't just jump on board here. You gotta start from the beginning, my dudes; that's what they're there for. Heh. Read it.
Now: The yarn. Fun, funny, witty, and original, with a plot that any number of clever, multi-syllable adjectives could accurately describe-- No, scratch that. I'm not so sure there are "a number" of adjectives that could ACCURATELY describe the plot, seeing that the fucking thing had more twists and turns than a bowl full of spiral-shaped noodles. Ok... maybe not that many...but definitely enough to keep you on your toes. Insightful, touching, tricky, rollercoaster-y, and, as I already mentioned, damn satisfying. An ending that feels complete. It's a full-on continuation from the previous volumes so you can't just jump on board here. You gotta start from the beginning, my dudes; that's what they're there for. Heh. Read it.
January 7, 2020
A great concluding volume to this charming fantasy (with an post-apocalyptic twist) story. Readers are dropped right back into Hum’s story after the downer of a conclusion of volume 2. Reeling from these events, Hum heads back to where much of the story began to herald in the ending. The last few issues are chock-full of action and some really crazy visuals.
Speaking of visuals, the art in this series is some of my favourite that I’ve come across in comics for awhile. It looks like a combination of Mad Max and Dungeons & Dungeons with a psychedelic colour palette.
I wish I had read the volumes in this series more closely together as I had forgotten some crucial details about the world which impeded by enjoyment a smidge (though that’s completely on me). I think this story would greatly benefit from having an omnibus edition collecting all three volumes.
Overall, a super fun series. Highly recommended.
Speaking of visuals, the art in this series is some of my favourite that I’ve come across in comics for awhile. It looks like a combination of Mad Max and Dungeons & Dungeons with a psychedelic colour palette.
I wish I had read the volumes in this series more closely together as I had forgotten some crucial details about the world which impeded by enjoyment a smidge (though that’s completely on me). I think this story would greatly benefit from having an omnibus edition collecting all three volumes.
Overall, a super fun series. Highly recommended.
July 7, 2020
A completely satisfying ending to a great limited series that I love. The story climaxes epically but more importantly organically, built off of tons of little details I didn’t expect to show up again but fit back in perfectly. And beyond just the plotting, there’s so many interesting reflections on self-deception and its relation to story-telling, and the power dynamics that determine how a story is remembered. Plus the art remains amazing. I hope Spurrier and Bergara create something together again sooner than later, and that it’s anywhere near as good as this.
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