Comics
Review: “Sovereign” #4
Image describes “Sovereign” as an “epic fantasy in the tradition of Game of Thrones”. While this issue certainly demonstrates a comparable level of complexity, with massive swaths of exposition and a truly dizzying cast of characters, it fails to capture its audience’s attention in the same way. The accessibility that has made George R. R. Martin’s series a massive hit is nowhere to be seen here, and the final product suffers greatly as a result.
WRITTEN BY: Chris Roberson
ART BY: Paul Maybury
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: June 25, 2014
Review By: Ooknabah
Sovereign #4 is divided into three parts, chronicling the inhabitants of a city besieged by the undead. Names are scarce, as is context, even while additional intrigues play out over the course of the story. Not much actually happens over the course of the issue, although it all portends to greater action to come. Still, as a new, lost reader, it is difficult to care.
This may all be solved when the series is collected in trade format, as the dense plotting almost demands the ability to flip back to previous scenes to figure out how all the various storylines manage to fit together. Being unfamiliar with what has come before, there is no doubt that many details are passing me by unnoticed. However, there is little to encourage one to delve into those previous issues to retrieve that much needed set up based off what is presented here.
Chris Roberson’s writing captures the voice of your typical fantasy novel, however the individual voices of the characters are almost indistinguishable from each other and the long exposition that covers the first third of the issue fails to entice. Paul Maybury’s art manages to produce a unique look which captures a wide variety of designs, with mixed success. At the more emotionally charged moments of the story it captures the emotions of the characters or the horror of the undead that threaten to overrun our protagonists. At its worst, it comes across as rushed and amateurish.
Dense to the point of being almost impenetrable, Sovereign #4 presents a considerable challenge to the new reader. Perhaps readers of previous issues may be hooked at this point and will see fit to continue, but newcomers will have a hard time finding reasons to do so.
Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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