I’m on mobile and just about to go to sleep so I can’t tippy type a big ol’ explanation as big ol’ as I’d like but I’ll chock it up to a few of my annoyances and you can make your own decision
(I try to avoid explicit spoilers but honestly theres nothing to spoil here)
Marius is a slave-gone-MAGEKILLER that has absolutely no personality or anything that makes him likeable. Want to see a character that’s likeable? Read Calpernia’s short story, because THAT Marius appeared for a few paragraphs and was still much more likeable. And if that truly is the same guy, WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM THAT MADE HIM SO EMPTY?? We never find out! Marius even says ‘I don’t hate mages’ to Dorian; THEN WHY ARE YOU HERE? I WANT TO KNOW!
The other main character, arguably the true main as she is the one with first-person narration bubbles but she doesn’t DO anything unless Marius does, is Tessa. She’s formerly a noble of Navarra, or maybe she still is? She had a falling out? Maybe?? Never explored or delved into. She has the potential to be so much more because her dialogue is charming and she’s GAY! WITH! CHARTER! But in the end she’s just Marius’ partner in… Fuck, mercenary work? they aren’t even magekillers for most of this series, they don’t ever call themselves anything else.
2. No driving plot, no anticipation.
Let me summarize for you; Two magekillers killing a mage. Forcibly contracted to kill a BUNCH of mages. Can’t continue contract because Marius says so. Convenient, no-effort escape to the south handed to them. Besides The Inquisitor, Only These Two Can Kill Demons I Guess? Conveniently recruited as agents to Inquisition. Conveniently rise ranks quickly I guess? The best part of the series, involved Chargers and Dorian, all you need to know is they were all draw kinda shitty except every single close-up of Dorian was lovingly crafted and Krem was a far-off potato. More on that later. THEY SUCCEED THEIR MISSION, NO CASUALTIES MARIUS IS A HERO BUT ONLY HIM. Conveniently presented another opportunity to become heroes. Almost effortlessly succeed except Tessa is a damsel with a crisis for half a second but Marius saves her because of course he does. Non-ending because yea, we already know how it ends we played it.
3. Why was this series made?
It didn’t add anything to the lore, nor to the characters; both those that were new and those that were already beloved. They had no development!!! The story changed nothing!!! This comic has absolutely no purpose and it isn’t even flashy enough to be for fun!!!
Look, okay, I know the amount of time the team had to work on each issue was probably short, and I understand the team was very small in the first place. But more than, oh, 75% of the books are anatomically questionable potato people with either no facial detail or barely there. The other 10% is Dorian. The last 5% is sometimes close-ups of the other characters? The scenery isn’t nice to look at, the architecture has very shoddily rulered perspective… Dubious even…
Graphic novels and comic books are VISUAL MEDIUMS. They have to keep the viewer’s eyes fed with quality lines and colours; this just… Fell flat on every level.
Except the cover art. Oh my lord, the cover art was so splendid, thats what convinced me into starting this series in the first place (little did i know what lie in wake)
5. Sometimes the writing made no sense, or clashed with what was being presented on the page. In a way that could’ve been fixed if an editor looked at it like once or twice. For instance; one time Tessa says “Good to see you Charter.”
Charter is not in the scene. Tessa is not obviously hallucinating or mistaking anything.
Another point, someone explains that the Inquisitor is on their way somewhere. Another character goes, 'Elu-va-whatnow?’ followed by Tessa explaining what they are.
Eluvians were not mentioned once in that conversation.
And how did Tess know what they are??? Do Magekillers get extensive magical training, even as mundane people? Why didn’t we get to learn about THAT instead, I want to know what goes into the training! The contracting! The consequences of killing mages in a mage-ruled Imperium!
6. WHY IS IT CALLED MAGEKILLER IF ITS ABOUT SOME BORING AGENTS I WAS NEVER MADE TO CARE ABOUT
7. I can’t tell if it’s just bad planning or intentional racism but Tessa is Nevarrin and whitewashed in nearly every scene except rare sunlit occasions. Krem is whitewashed, or the same excuse as Tess and the colourist doesnt know how skin shades in firelight. He also gets no close-up whatsoever, despite co-leading a whole mission with Coverboy Pavus and Mraauuugghhhgghius (and Tess probably???). You know who gets a close-up in that sequence? Rocky. I hope its not for the reason I think.
8. Seriously my suggestion; if you want to support anything coming out of this, support the cover artist. That work is phenom. Also, create your own DA original work. That goes for everyone! I want them on my desk by monday!
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