The Sacrifice, Volume 1
writer: Rick Raymond
artist: Max Fiumara
Colorist: Dave McCaig
Writer: Ross Wootton
Publisher: Image comics
Publication date: April 2024
Tomorrow’s world is a beautiful paradise where five families make sure everything remains perfect – but at the cost of one child per family. victim is one of the latest versions Rick Raymondtags giant generator as part of his exclusive three-year contract with Image Comics. Known for popular TV series such as low and Deadly levelRaymond is one of the best-known writers in the industry, and at this point, his work can be expected to be consistently great. This series is somehow better than that. The first deal collects the first six issues of the currently ongoing series, published in April. Featuring rich, imaginative artwork Max Fiumara (four eyes), victim Volume One begins a larger, emotionally rich epic fantasy narrative.
The setting of this book is one of the most realistic and interesting I have ever seen in a fantasy comic. Set in a mysterious world filled with humanoids and various gods, the comic’s style blends traditional Western fantasy with influences from other cultures such as Aztec, Japanese, and Indian mythology. The result is a completely unique style, and Fiumara especially fleshes out this world with incredibly detailed page compositions that help us understand the world’s existence and how they work. The world of the gods, paradise, is fascinating. It’s dark and beautiful, and what you see in the first volume conjures up images of the super-rich in our real world, combined with the idea of Mount Olympus. This is in stark contrast to “Tomorrow,” in which a grief-stricken family lives a seemingly ideal life at the cost of surrendering their children to the mysterious powers of heaven. We see how people worship and praise the victims, but also how people condemn or pity them. It’s mesmerizing, and the whole scene feels well thought out, with a few small details if you need them, but vague enough to keep the audience guessing.
Our two protagonists are Pigeon and Soluna. As others have said, the dove is a sacrificial victim, sentenced by his family to go to heaven in order to save his family. This immediately makes him very sympathetic, but there’s more to his personality than that. He’s arrogant, antagonistic, and often selfish, but he’s also a kid who seems doomed. This gave him a nuance that I wasn’t expecting, making him less of a perfect victim and more of a three-dimensional character. Soluna is almost the opposite, starting out as a spoiled brat raised in a temple and not very likeable – but in the first volume her pain takes a toll on her both physically and mentally Huge changes. The creative team behind this book isn’t content with meeting your expectations and uses dual protagonists as a way to continually surprise the audience. Both had moments that really moved me, especially Pidgeon’s complicated relationship with the only fellow sacrificer he could call a friend. These are the types of characters you desperately want to see grow and develop, perfect for a story like this.
It’s surprising no one reads this, Rick Remender’s writing is fantastic. He has developed an incredible knack for emotionally rich, moving dialogue and narration that fleshes out the characters and the worlds they inhabit. There’s a certain polish to his writing that you’d expect, so the twists and turns he takes are often more shocking. It’s easy for him to perform hits, but he’s challenging himself to do something unique, always pushing the story in new and exciting directions. engraver Ross Wootton The praise for Remender’s work is incredible, making it stand out but by no means obvious or unsubtle.
Max Fiumara’s art is both essential to this comic and its best part. Every page is beautiful; Fiumara’s page compositions are eloquent and impactful, always seeming to know exactly how to frame a moment and compliment Raymond’s writing and story. His skill in visual and character design shines through every page of this book, making so much world building easy to handle. It’s detailed and stylized, with the perfect blend of cartoonishness and realism to make the beings and creatures of this world believable. This is great stuff, definitely Fiumara’s masterpiece. Dave McCraig As a colorist, he did an incredible job getting the most out of Fiumara’s artwork and creating a unique color palette for the book that provides good contrast where needed. The two work in perfect sync and are completely consistent with Rememender, which is impressive.
This is a story centered on characters and themes, but not without plot. Rememender and Fiumara combine their incredible talents to make this story a very balanced and interesting one. It meanders over six issues, leaving you with a strange feeling at the end of the volume that somehow the story has just begun. It’s an engaging read that flows incredibly well in a transactional format, almost better than a single issue. This is an epic story full of creativity, but with a sense of magic and adventure in a dark and violent world. Fantasy comics are entering a bold new era, bravely moving away from traditional Eurocentric fantasy and toward new styles. This book is a perfect example.
comprehensive, victim The first volume begins with an epic, touching and funny story. Remender and Fiumara have done some tremendous work here with a three-dimensional, layered dual protagonist, an incredibly captivating background, and a knack for eliciting powerful emotions in the reader. Stunning artwork combined with impactful, emotional writing creates something truly special. Fantasy comics are taking a new step, and this is one of the many trend-setting books that I definitely recommend. Whether you’ve never picked up a fantasy comic before, or you’ve read dozens of them, this series has some fantastic surprises for you, and with the second issue on sale before the end of the month, now’s the perfect time to check it out.
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