Connect with us

Comics

Review: Dragon Age, The Silent Grove #1

Published

on

Prior to a civil war brought on by the Fifth Blight that tore the nation of Ferelden in two, King Cailan sat the throne but then he took an arrow in the knee… Well something like that. But either way, he perished, and his brother Alistair Theririn took the crown, and saved his kingdom from the darkspawn, bringing peace to the land! Unfortunately, peace only lasts while someone else is planning a new war; which brings us to Dark Horses new digital exclusive title Dragon Age, The Silent Grove. Read on for the skinny…

da1cover WRITTEN BY: Alexander Freed, David Gaider
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Chad Hardin
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
RELEASE: Out Now!

“From the lead writer of BioWare’s Dragon Age games comes this original six-part story, available exclusively from the Dark Horse Digital Store!

It’s unusual for a king to embark on a dangerous quest himself rather than send an emissary, but King Alistair Therein has caught wind of a rumor big enough, and personal enough, that he is compelled to investigate—though not alone. With deadly, wisecracking mercenaries Isabella and Varric by his side, Alistair travels to a city of assassins to learn the truth about his kingdom and his own reign!”

King Alistair comes to Antiva, a city that is the playground for an elite assassin group known as Crows. Being a king, naturally, Alistair is not stupid enough to travel alone, and after some beautifully laid out sword play scenes we are introduced to his two faithful companions; a dwarf, Varric, and a dangerous pirate, Isabela. The trio find that someone has prepared for their arrival with deadly traps. Uh oh.

Right away I knew I would enjoy this story, being the fantasy buff that I am; swords, dwarven crossbows and conspiracy plots against a kingdom, yep, I’m sold! This story reminds me of my days reading the Dungeons and Dragons or Forgotten Realms novels, probably because The Silent Grove is based off the popular Dragon Age video game series. Alexander Freed infuses the script with sarcastic humor and it fits well within the context of the story. There’s a certain tendency in fantasy to take the subject matter a bit too seriously, however, Freed does a fantastic job of balancing action, fantasy, and comic relief.

As for Chard Hardin’s artwork, it’s a bit cartoony, but ain’t nothing wrong with that. It submerses the reader into the atmosphere fully and pops right off the page (or screen, considering it’s digital only).

All and all, anyone who is a fan of the fantasy genre should give this book a shot. It’s available exclusively at Dark Horse Digital and it’s only 99 coins! Besides, anything with “dragon” in the title is okay by me.

4/5 Skulls

Comics

[Review] Graphic Novel ‘Tender’ Is Brilliant Feminist Body Horror That Will Make You Squirm & Scream

Published

on

Tender Beth Hetland Graphic Novel

Beth Hetland’s debut graphic novel, ‘Tender,’ is a modern tale of love, validation, and self-destruction by way of brutal body horror with a feminist edge.

“I’ve wanted this more than anything.”

Men so often dominate the body horror subgenre, which makes it so rare and insightful whenever women tackle this space. This makes Beth Hetland’s Tender such a refreshing change of pace. It’s earnest, honest, and impossibly exposed. Tender takes the body horror subgenre and brilliantly and subversively mixes it together with a narrative that’s steeped in the societal expectations that women face on a daily basis, whether it comes to empowerment, family, or sexuality. It single-handedly beats other 2023 and ‘24 feminine horror texts like American Horror Story: Delicate, Sick, Lisa Frankenstein, and Immaculate at their own game.

Hetland’s Tender is American Psycho meets Rosemary’s Baby meets Swallow. It’s also absolutely not for the faint of heart.

Right from the jump, Tender grabs hold of its audience and doesn’t let go. Carolanne’s quest for romantic fulfillment, validation, and a grander purpose is easy to empathize with and an effective framework for this woeful saga. Carolanne’s wounds cut so deep simply because they’re so incredibly commonplace. Everybody wants to feel wanted.

Tender is full of beautiful, gross, expressive artwork that makes the reader squirm in their seat and itch. Hetland’s drawings are simultaneously minimalist and comprehensively layered. They’re  reminiscent of Charles Burns’ Black Hole, in the best way possible. There’s consistently inspired and striking use of spot coloring that elevates Hetland’s story whenever it’s incorporated, invading Tender’s muted world.

Hetland employs effective, economical storytelling that makes clever use of panels and scene construction so that Tender can breeze through exposition and get to the story’s gooey, aching heart. There’s an excellent page that depicts Carolanne’s menial domestic tasks where the repetitive panels grow increasingly smaller to illustrate the formulaic rut that her life has become. It’s magical. Tender is full of creative devices like this that further let the reader into Carolanne’s mind without ever getting clunky or explicit on the matter. The graphic novel is bookended with a simple moment that shifts from sweet to suffocating.

Tender gives the audience a proper sense of who Carolanne is right away. Hetland adeptly defines her protagonist so that readers are immediately on her side, praying that she gets her “happily ever after,” and makes it out of this sick story alive…And then they’re rapidly wishing for the opposite and utterly aghast over this chameleon. There’s also some creative experimentation with non-linear storytelling that gets to the root of Carolanne and continually recontextualizes who she is and what she wants out of life so that the audience is kept on guard.

Tender casually transforms from a picture-perfect rom-com, right down to the visual style, into a haunting horror story. There’s such a natural quality to how Tender presents the melancholy manner in which a relationship — and life — can decay. Once the horror elements hit, they hit hard, like a jackhammer, and don’t relent. It’s hard not to wince and grimace through Tender’s terrifying images. They’re reminiscent of the nightmarish dadaist visuals from The Ring’s cursed videotape, distilled to blunt comic panels that the reader is forced to confront and digest, rather than something that simply flickers through their mind and is gone a moment later. Tender makes its audience marinate in its mania and incubates its horror as if it’s a gestating fetus in their womb.

Tender tells a powerful, emotional, disturbing story, but its secret weapon may be its sublime pacing. Hetland paces Tender in such an exceptional manner, so that it takes its time, sneaks up on the reader, and gets under their skin until they’re dreading where the story will go next. Tender pushes the audience right up to the edge so that they’re practically begging that Carolanne won’t do the things that she does, yet the other shoe always drops in the most devastating manner. Audiences will read Tender with clenched fists that make it a struggle to turn each page, although they won’t be able to stop. Tender isn’t a short story, at more than 160 pages, but readers will want to take their time and relish each page so that this macabre story lasts for as long as possible before it cascades to its tragic conclusion. 

Tender is an accomplished and uncomfortable debut graphic novel from Hetland that reveals a strong, unflinching voice that’s the perfect fit for horror. Tender indulges in heightened flights of fancy and toes the line with the supernatural. However, Tender is so successful at what it does because it’s so grounded in reality and presents a horror story that’s all too common in society. It’s a heartbreaking meditation on loneliness and codependency that’s one of 2024’s must-read horror graphic novels.

‘Tender,’ by Beth Hetland and published by Fantagraphics, is now available.

4 out of 5 skulls

Tender graphic novel review

Continue Reading