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Review: ‘Amala’s Blade’ #4

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Steve Horton and Michael Dialynas are back with more of their visually stunning steampunk adventure in a civil war torn fantasy world. However, what makes “Amala’s Blade” so compelling is the character-driven narrative. The power of individual strength and perseverance is particularly evident in their characterization of the series’ namesake, ultimately leading to themes of self-actualization and responsibility for one’s identity by the final installment.

The release of issue #4 sees Amala’s journey come to an end, but not without its fair share of casualties. Exceeding the high level of skill and quality already established by Horton and Dialynas in previous installments, “Amala’s Blade” #4 delivers on all accounts.

WRITTEN BY: Steve Horton
ART BY: Michael Dialynas
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: July 31, 2013

Picking up right where issue #3 left off, the final installment wastes no time before delving straight into the story’s action. Amala, having discovered Prince Markos’ plan to reignite the civil war between Modifiers and Purifiers, alerts Smitty and Ren of an ambush by Modifier troops in Neutral Territory. When both warring factions begin to face off, Dialynas takes centre stage with his incredible pencils and colours illustrating the action.

His art explodes across the pages with a vibrant colour palette of mostly blues, purple and brown, displaying a dramatic and accelerated sense of narrative. His work indicates effortlessness in regards to various movements of battle, authentically demonstrating the fluidity his illustrated soldiers possess through a solid understanding, and perfectly executed representations, of the human form. Michael Dialynas’ work also conveys a fresh perspective on the steampunk fantasy genre, showcasing elements of both past and future throughout the issue.

The fourth installment continues with more character-building for Amala. The previous issue has already established how significant her role is in forging a better future for all of Naamaron, but part four really drives the point home, courtesy of her mother, The Lady Strawbale. Whether she’s able to reunite the clashing Modifier and Purifier people in order to stop the resurgence of civil war, or whether or not she’s ready to accept her destiny, readers will have to pick up the issue to find out.

Steve Horton writes in a way that really captures the readers’ imagination. He covers a vast amount of ground in this final issue in order to tie up the series nicely; drawing his audience into his story through numerous twists and turns. He successfully builds upon Naamaron and the “Amala’s Blade” universe over the span of four issues, describing Amala’s world so earnestly throughout the series. Horton keeps up with the fast-pace of the narrative, and swiftly moves the story along to its final pages, producing some surprisingly unpredictable plot developments along the way.

He has created something special with Amala, so it’s doubtful this series will be the last we see of the sword-wielding, master assassin. Overall, “Amala’s Blade” #4 is a worthy issue to end one of the finer series of 2013. From Dialynas’ amazing cover art, to the very last hilarious panel featuring Stormscale the mechanical wyrm, and everyone’s favourite ghost monkey, his work is phenomenal. Here’s hoping the plans to expand Amala’s universe are currently being concocted in Horton’s brain, right now.

4.5/5 Skulls

Review by – ShadowJayd

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

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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

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