Comics
[5 Skull Comic Book Review] “Dark Ages” #2 Continues to Impress & Surprise!
“Dark Ages” #2 continues to impress and surprise. Our company of mercenaries is put to the test in trials of the body and the mind. The castle may give them some protection from the hordes of devils outside but sinister things are at work within the walls. The silent monks harbor a dark secret that could lay our heroes to waste before the devils at their doorstep.
WRITTEN BY: Dan Abnett
ART BY: I.N.J Culbard
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: September 10, 2014
Reviewed By: Torbin Chimners
As Lieutenant Lucifer handles the physical threat assaulting them, the squire boy Martlet is preoccupied with the only monk who speaks, Edwin. Although he mostly just repeats words other people say, only in a whisper, Edwin’s been hearing things,. These things seem to excite him greatly and he’s not the only one.
The castle isn’t as silent as one would think a castle belonging to an order of mute monks would be. There are whispers in the halls, far off voices muttering something inaudible. It’s all deliciously ominous, building an enthralling mystery that you’re almost begging for resolution by the end.
I. N. J. Culbard delivers some awesomely beautiful art, especially during the gory clashes between devils and men. Most of the combat pages give a great sense of the hordes they’re facing, with our heroes sorely outnumbered. There are some wickedly sick deaths in this issue, like a guy getting ripped in half by gargoyle demons. Culbard’s art fits the time period superbly; the armor and architecture look fantastic.
SPECULATION TIME:
I believe Dark Ages is actually Sci-fi not Fantasy and I’ve got proof. First, Martlet tells Lucifer that he saw a “Great Shadow [that] passed across the stars and hid their lights.”
If that doesn’t sound like a spaceship I don’t know what does. Now look at the cover, that design around the title is markedly futuristic. It’s got no place being there if this is a straight fantasy. Those two combined leave me to believe that the “devils” are actually aliens and I’ll bet whatever it is “whispering” in the walls will be some sort of alien device.
I’d like to note that it’s really neat that Dark Ages features a black knight. Most stories set during medieval times omit minorities, painting a picture that only white people existed then.
“Dark Ages” #2 is an excellent follow up to the almost perfect first issue. By virtue of being a second issue it’s not as “new” but it more than makes up for it by shining a spotlight on the fantastic supporting characters and building mystery to a boiling point by the final page.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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