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The New 52 Sword of Sorcery #0-8
Sword of Sorcery, Vol. 1: Amethyst
Amy Winston leads a strange life on the road with her mother. She's about to learn why it's all been necessary when she discovers she's the lost princess of Gemworld -- and has powerful enemies hunting her!
328 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2013
12 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
About the author
Christy Marx
106 books12 followersChristy Marx has had an eclectic career as a transmedia writer, TV and animation series developer, game designer and narrative designer. Over the years, she has worked on live-action television, film, animation, videogames, comic books, graphic novels, manga, and non-fiction educational books.
She began her game design career creating award-winning adventure games for Sierra On-Line, and went on to work on console, MMO, Facebook, and mobile games.
Christy was awarded the Writers Guild of America/Animation Writers Caucus Award for contributions to the field of animation writing. Her TV credits include: Babylon 5, Twilight Zone, Spider-Man, G.I. Joe, Jem and the Holograms, ReBoot, Conan, Beast Wars, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With her partner, Randy Littlejohn, she has written for X-Men: Evolution, Stargate Infinity, He-Man and others.
She began writing comics with Conan and Red Sonja stories for Marvel. Her credits include Wolfrider, a graphic novel with Wendy Pini in the Elfquest series, and various other stories. She's written for DC Comics on fantasy series Amethyst, superhero series Birds of Prey, and Green Arrow. Her original Marvel/Epic series The Sisterhood of Steel, about a society of warrior-women is available from the author.
After six years providing Narrative Design at Zynga, she has returned to the freelance life to pursue her own projects, including a second edition of her book, Writing for Animation, Comics and Games, and a memoir about creating the animation series for Jem and the Holograms.
She lives on top of a huge ridge of volcanic stuff amidst towering pines, oaks, and cedars with her husband, Randy Littlejohn, and four...no, make that five...no, make that six cats. They're stopping at six. Really. They are.
She began her game design career creating award-winning adventure games for Sierra On-Line, and went on to work on console, MMO, Facebook, and mobile games.
Christy was awarded the Writers Guild of America/Animation Writers Caucus Award for contributions to the field of animation writing. Her TV credits include: Babylon 5, Twilight Zone, Spider-Man, G.I. Joe, Jem and the Holograms, ReBoot, Conan, Beast Wars, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With her partner, Randy Littlejohn, she has written for X-Men: Evolution, Stargate Infinity, He-Man and others.
She began writing comics with Conan and Red Sonja stories for Marvel. Her credits include Wolfrider, a graphic novel with Wendy Pini in the Elfquest series, and various other stories. She's written for DC Comics on fantasy series Amethyst, superhero series Birds of Prey, and Green Arrow. Her original Marvel/Epic series The Sisterhood of Steel, about a society of warrior-women is available from the author.
After six years providing Narrative Design at Zynga, she has returned to the freelance life to pursue her own projects, including a second edition of her book, Writing for Animation, Comics and Games, and a memoir about creating the animation series for Jem and the Holograms.
She lives on top of a huge ridge of volcanic stuff amidst towering pines, oaks, and cedars with her husband, Randy Littlejohn, and four...no, make that five...no, make that six cats. They're stopping at six. Really. They are.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
January 15, 2015
Sword of Sorcery!?!
I don’t think DC was even trying when they came up with this book title, which is a shame because their revisiting of Gemworld isn’t too bad. The crappy title umbrellas several different stories here, the most prominent being, Amethyst.
The characters are what carry the story. Basically, it’s women harnessing magic and doing it for themselves. Amy/Amaya has lived on Earth for the first seventeen years and now that she’s of age, she travels back to Gemworld. There’s an evil aunt and crystal portals and magic and sword play and magic sword play and stuff…the whole different kingdoms ruled by different gems has a vague been-there-done-that feel to it.
The “T” rated Constantine is a player here, but warning (!), there’s a big chunk of storyline missing when he brings Amaya back to planet Earth. After the battle you never get to see, she travels to Chicago for deep dish pizza. Mmm deep dish pizza!
It’s not until Eclipso (picture the Green Goblin, but dressed in purple) that the story picks up considerably. Eclipso was involved in a memorable crossover from the 1990’s, the last time DC apparently gave a crap about writing compelling stories company wide. I have vague memories of a possessed and angry Batman and the Joker beating the crap out of each other all because of one of Eclipso’s black diamonds. Good times!
The Beowolf story is a nice futuristic update on the book that you were forced to read in high school and Stalker reinforces the old trope about trusting some hooded creepy guy with a bad manicure who promises you stuff if you just give him your soul. Hello Satan! Paging Doctor Faustus!
I don’t think DC was even trying when they came up with this book title, which is a shame because their revisiting of Gemworld isn’t too bad. The crappy title umbrellas several different stories here, the most prominent being, Amethyst.
The characters are what carry the story. Basically, it’s women harnessing magic and doing it for themselves. Amy/Amaya has lived on Earth for the first seventeen years and now that she’s of age, she travels back to Gemworld. There’s an evil aunt and crystal portals and magic and sword play and magic sword play and stuff…the whole different kingdoms ruled by different gems has a vague been-there-done-that feel to it.
The “T” rated Constantine is a player here, but warning (!), there’s a big chunk of storyline missing when he brings Amaya back to planet Earth. After the battle you never get to see, she travels to Chicago for deep dish pizza. Mmm deep dish pizza!
It’s not until Eclipso (picture the Green Goblin, but dressed in purple) that the story picks up considerably. Eclipso was involved in a memorable crossover from the 1990’s, the last time DC apparently gave a crap about writing compelling stories company wide. I have vague memories of a possessed and angry Batman and the Joker beating the crap out of each other all because of one of Eclipso’s black diamonds. Good times!
The Beowolf story is a nice futuristic update on the book that you were forced to read in high school and Stalker reinforces the old trope about trusting some hooded creepy guy with a bad manicure who promises you stuff if you just give him your soul. Hello Satan! Paging Doctor Faustus!
March 31, 2014
I never read the older version of Gemworld. I know it's out there, and I would like to read it, someday. I like the idea of a very magical, female-lead fantasy comic. Christy Marx, probably best known for creating the truly outrageous Jem and the Holograms, can definitely write a magic-infused, female lead fantasy. And Sword of Sorcery works, for the most part. It's a shame it was cancelled.
I wonder if the concept of Gemworld itself was enough to make readers wary. It does sound kind of gimmicky, to have all of these gemstone themes. But I've seen worse in fantasy, so I was willing to suspend disbelief that far. And once I did, I liked what I saw. Sadly, Marx didn't get the time to fully flesh out her version of Gemworld, but it certainly looks like she had a good idea of where she was going. It may not feel entirely realistic, but it does make good internal sense. And, thanks to the efforts of artist Aaron Lopresti, it looks fantastic.
I feel bad judging the storyline. The first few issues seem like they're ramping up to something really interesting. I was really enjoying the book at this point. And then there's the Eclipse storyline. It comes out of nowhere, and shoves the previous overarching story to the side. It kind of smells like editorial interference (we must tie this book more closely with the rest of the DCU!) and it doesn't do the book any favors. And then it stops abruptly, with a cliffhanger ending that will never be resolved. If anyone ever picks up Gemworld for DC again, it's unlikely that they'll continue that story where they left off, instead of starting over again.
I would imagine that they'll also start from scratch with the characters, which is a shame. Amy/Amara is a great character. Her reactions are entirely believable in her situation, and I like her determination and bravery. There's obviously some culture shock for her, but she's willing to learn and a fairly quick study. The supporting characters are also great. There's a lot of capable, if fallible, people who are interesting to read. It's a nice cast. Unfortunately, I never really developed much of an attachment to any of the characters. This is probably my fault. I knew that the end was coming, abruptly, and I didn't want to get too attached to characters that I would probably never see again.
This collection also comes with the Beowulf and Stalker stories that were, it seems, originally backups to the Gemworld stories in Sword of Sorcery. Beowulf starts out well, with a far-future, post-apocalyptic take on the tale of Beowulf and Grendel. I really liked that part, but then it shifted over into a time travel plot that I could have done without, especially because it ends up an unresolvable cliffhanger. The Stalker story does much the same, and it doesn't have the benefit of being well-written enough or clever enough to draw me in. This is the sort of thing that would have worked much better if we'd had more than a few pages to develop an emotional attachment to the main character. This one, at least, I wasn't sorry to see end.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I still don't think that I would recommend it to others. The problem is that the series was cancelled, which leaves every story thread unresolved. And it probably never will be. So what's the point in reading it? I probably would have been more engaged when I was reading it if I hadn't gone in knowing that it was essentially dead in the water. But it's probably a good thing that I knew in advance, because it would have been terrible to get attached to something that was doomed before I ever started reading it. I'm still sad about the cancellation, of course, because I feel like this could have been a really good book if given time to grow. I guess I'll just have to watch a few episodes of Jem.
I wonder if the concept of Gemworld itself was enough to make readers wary. It does sound kind of gimmicky, to have all of these gemstone themes. But I've seen worse in fantasy, so I was willing to suspend disbelief that far. And once I did, I liked what I saw. Sadly, Marx didn't get the time to fully flesh out her version of Gemworld, but it certainly looks like she had a good idea of where she was going. It may not feel entirely realistic, but it does make good internal sense. And, thanks to the efforts of artist Aaron Lopresti, it looks fantastic.
I feel bad judging the storyline. The first few issues seem like they're ramping up to something really interesting. I was really enjoying the book at this point. And then there's the Eclipse storyline. It comes out of nowhere, and shoves the previous overarching story to the side. It kind of smells like editorial interference (we must tie this book more closely with the rest of the DCU!) and it doesn't do the book any favors. And then it stops abruptly, with a cliffhanger ending that will never be resolved. If anyone ever picks up Gemworld for DC again, it's unlikely that they'll continue that story where they left off, instead of starting over again.
I would imagine that they'll also start from scratch with the characters, which is a shame. Amy/Amara is a great character. Her reactions are entirely believable in her situation, and I like her determination and bravery. There's obviously some culture shock for her, but she's willing to learn and a fairly quick study. The supporting characters are also great. There's a lot of capable, if fallible, people who are interesting to read. It's a nice cast. Unfortunately, I never really developed much of an attachment to any of the characters. This is probably my fault. I knew that the end was coming, abruptly, and I didn't want to get too attached to characters that I would probably never see again.
This collection also comes with the Beowulf and Stalker stories that were, it seems, originally backups to the Gemworld stories in Sword of Sorcery. Beowulf starts out well, with a far-future, post-apocalyptic take on the tale of Beowulf and Grendel. I really liked that part, but then it shifted over into a time travel plot that I could have done without, especially because it ends up an unresolvable cliffhanger. The Stalker story does much the same, and it doesn't have the benefit of being well-written enough or clever enough to draw me in. This is the sort of thing that would have worked much better if we'd had more than a few pages to develop an emotional attachment to the main character. This one, at least, I wasn't sorry to see end.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I still don't think that I would recommend it to others. The problem is that the series was cancelled, which leaves every story thread unresolved. And it probably never will be. So what's the point in reading it? I probably would have been more engaged when I was reading it if I hadn't gone in knowing that it was essentially dead in the water. But it's probably a good thing that I knew in advance, because it would have been terrible to get attached to something that was doomed before I ever started reading it. I'm still sad about the cancellation, of course, because I feel like this could have been a really good book if given time to grow. I guess I'll just have to watch a few episodes of Jem.
June 5, 2014
I am so very sorry that they will not be continuing this series. I loved the artwork, the characters, and how they updated the book. I'm sad that they left it on a cliffhanger. Beowulf and Stalker were also pretty interesting stories although based on their inclusion in this volume I'm going to assume that they will also not be continued.
October 13, 2020
Sword of Sorcery is a gem (no pun intended). Sword of Sorcery is a fantasy series based in the DC universe staring Amethyst with two backups featuring Beowulf and Stalker. The main story with Amethyst is absolutely fantastic, I love the sort of coming of age story mixed with all the creative fantasy elements. Amaya is a great and likable protagonist, she’s on par with some of DC’s greatest heroes. I also loved the world building of gem world, the stuff with all the different houses was so creative. The back up stories were great too especially Beowulf which takes place in the future of the DC universe. My only issue is that series was cut short, it really is one of a kind and a must read for fans of DC, fantasy, and strong female characters
September 23, 2014
I have to admit that the cover made me pass this by a few times because the cover looks like a Barbie-theme graphic novel. Don't get me wrong. I went through a huge Barbie doll phase. I still have a collection of Barbie dolls. But I never got into the Barbie merchandise and have no desire to read a Barbie graphic novel or watch a Barbie movie. I really wish the cover wasn't so bubble gum-looking.
Nevertheless, I decided to check this out. It's actually not bad. It's definitely sword and sorcery. I like the genre, and I think it was done quite well. The whole idea of Amethyst as a seventeen-year-old who comes into her heritage as a powerful princess of another kingdom is pretty cool. I like that each kingdom represents a different precious gem. However, one of my issues with the way Amethyst is drawn is Amy looks like just her mother and aunt. It was only possible to tell them apart based on what they were wearing. I think there was more variation in the other kingdoms, thankfully. While I wasn't loving the whole Barbie verisimilitude, the action and magic was actually pretty cool.
Talking about strange bedfellows. Amethyst is paired with Beowulf and Stalker, which are both very violent and more male-oriented sword and sorcery tales. It was a bit of a rough transition, probably moreso for readers who don't jump back and forth between male and female-oriented fiction.
Beowulf was kind of a cool update on the old tale. Instead of it being the original Beowulf, it's about a genetically engineered warrior of the same name, created by the Basilisk (who I know about from reading The Suicide Squad series). There is a link between Grendel and Beowulf because of Basilisk. Beowulf isn't strictly likable, but he definitely is good at killing monsters. I would read more of these stories.
Stalker is about an ancient warrior king who makes an unwise deal with Lucifer that comes back to bite him in the rear. He goes on a mission to get revenge in return. It was the darkest story. Readers who like horror action will enjoy it.
Overall, pretty good. If the cover makes you want to avoid it, I say give this a try.
Nevertheless, I decided to check this out. It's actually not bad. It's definitely sword and sorcery. I like the genre, and I think it was done quite well. The whole idea of Amethyst as a seventeen-year-old who comes into her heritage as a powerful princess of another kingdom is pretty cool. I like that each kingdom represents a different precious gem. However, one of my issues with the way Amethyst is drawn is Amy looks like just her mother and aunt. It was only possible to tell them apart based on what they were wearing. I think there was more variation in the other kingdoms, thankfully. While I wasn't loving the whole Barbie verisimilitude, the action and magic was actually pretty cool.
Talking about strange bedfellows. Amethyst is paired with Beowulf and Stalker, which are both very violent and more male-oriented sword and sorcery tales. It was a bit of a rough transition, probably moreso for readers who don't jump back and forth between male and female-oriented fiction.
Beowulf was kind of a cool update on the old tale. Instead of it being the original Beowulf, it's about a genetically engineered warrior of the same name, created by the Basilisk (who I know about from reading The Suicide Squad series). There is a link between Grendel and Beowulf because of Basilisk. Beowulf isn't strictly likable, but he definitely is good at killing monsters. I would read more of these stories.
Stalker is about an ancient warrior king who makes an unwise deal with Lucifer that comes back to bite him in the rear. He goes on a mission to get revenge in return. It was the darkest story. Readers who like horror action will enjoy it.
Overall, pretty good. If the cover makes you want to avoid it, I say give this a try.
January 4, 2015
It wasn't the most mind blowing story, but it was SO very entertaining and I enjoyed it tremendously.
Amethyst is a fun character and she contradicts a lot of what is happening in the new 52, so I found her fantastical story to be refreshing, light-hearted and much-needed. The script and pencil-work are only so-so; however, the colouring and scenic art were excellent. Bright, vivid landscapes illustrated using lush, deep hues and really great lighting stole the show for me.... It was the exact opposite of everything we have seen in all those Gotham-based titles. A total relief from the darkness.
The big surprise for me in this collection was the Beowulf story. I loved its glimpse into the future DC Universe and I found the heightened language of the script perfect for the narrative being conveyed. Beowulf (a character I've never really thought much about) was totally hot, thanks to some brilliant artwork and characterization. And was it just me, or was there a little chemistry going on between him and his sidekick? There were a lot of questions raised about what happens in the distant future of the DCU, and I sincerely hope we eventually get around to some answers (although it clearly won't be discussed in this series any further)... I would really like to see more Beowulf in the DCnU.
A shame they went and cancelled what I thought would have been a great way to balance all the grittiness and seriousness that has infected the DCU in recent years. Sword of Sorcery had a lot of potential; it was taken from us too soon.
4/5
Amethyst is a fun character and she contradicts a lot of what is happening in the new 52, so I found her fantastical story to be refreshing, light-hearted and much-needed. The script and pencil-work are only so-so; however, the colouring and scenic art were excellent. Bright, vivid landscapes illustrated using lush, deep hues and really great lighting stole the show for me.... It was the exact opposite of everything we have seen in all those Gotham-based titles. A total relief from the darkness.
The big surprise for me in this collection was the Beowulf story. I loved its glimpse into the future DC Universe and I found the heightened language of the script perfect for the narrative being conveyed. Beowulf (a character I've never really thought much about) was totally hot, thanks to some brilliant artwork and characterization. And was it just me, or was there a little chemistry going on between him and his sidekick? There were a lot of questions raised about what happens in the distant future of the DCU, and I sincerely hope we eventually get around to some answers (although it clearly won't be discussed in this series any further)... I would really like to see more Beowulf in the DCnU.
A shame they went and cancelled what I thought would have been a great way to balance all the grittiness and seriousness that has infected the DCU in recent years. Sword of Sorcery had a lot of potential; it was taken from us too soon.
4/5
July 9, 2017
A surprisingly decent modernized reboot of "Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld". I'd have to do some more research, but I think the old Amethyst series was aimed at tween girls. this one seems to be good general fantasy fiction, as the story lines are mature in nature but still hold down a PG level of sexuality, maybe a PG-13 violence level. If the title had gotten the boot by DC, i woudl continue reading.
There were two darker back-up features included: a Beowulf retelling that I thought was excellent, and the Faustian thriller The Stalker. Beowulf retold the old Norse legend faithfully, as set in a post-apocalyptic world with B. as a frozen super-soldier from the readers' near-future. I'd suggest the book for the B. back-up alone.
Going to come back around when I have some time and see if this fits any of my Seasonal Reading lo local library Summer Reading Challenges.
There were two darker back-up features included: a Beowulf retelling that I thought was excellent, and the Faustian thriller The Stalker. Beowulf retold the old Norse legend faithfully, as set in a post-apocalyptic world with B. as a frozen super-soldier from the readers' near-future. I'd suggest the book for the B. back-up alone.
Going to come back around when I have some time and see if this fits any of my Seasonal Reading lo local library Summer Reading Challenges.
January 14, 2021
I might give this 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed reading it, and it had a nice departure from the traditional Amethyst story. The art was great, and I enjoyed the new characters. The way they used Constantine kinda confused me a bit, but I suppose that's not a big deal. That being said, I do prefer the original Amethyst story, and even the new one, over this one.
January 1, 2018
From what I understand this is kind of a revamp of several older DC titles, but not really being a DC girl I've never read or heard of any of them. I mostly just read this because it was a single volume and also because it was a tie-in with Justice League Dark. Although it wasn't anything super amazing, it was definitely better than I, Vampire, the other tie-in I read. The unimaginative title really says it all because it is a very standard sword and sorcery fantasy series, but the characters are fun and the different gems having different powers is an interesting although not entirely original plot device. I actually wish this had a longer run because I think it could have been a fairly decent title if it was given time to warm up. Also if you're just reading this because of JLD and/or Constantine it's not REALLY necessary and he seems pretty OOC to me, but I'm starting to think that's to be expected when he's outside of his own title.
January 8, 2017
I have to split this review up into 3 parts: 1) Sword of Sorcery, 2) Beowulf, and 3) Stalker because they're unrelated stories with different creative teams
...
1) Sword of Sorcery
My first thought when I saw this was, "DC has a fantasy thing? Huh..." and then I figured, "Sure, why not give it a try? I love fantasy." And I bought it, got distracted by other books, and didn't get around to reading it until a couple years later.
It's pretty darn good! Maybe I'm biased because a lot of the themes are similar to a story I've been slowly writing myself, but Sword of Sorcery is set in an interesting world amidst political power struggles and features a quick-thinking, big-hearted female protagonist in her teens. Amaya/Amy is a likable hero who never gets annoying. She's surrounded by a cast of other strong women who play well off of her.
The only flaw that stands out to me is the seemingly instant flirtation between Amaya and Preet. He's the "dashing rogue" caught stealing from the royal treasury, their touch sparks a magical reaction that gives him away as heir to the throne, he tries to run, and then there's the whole "Oops, I fell on top of you!" moment. It's saved by the series ending and not giving the characters enough time to solidify a romance.
The best part of the series? Mordiel's redemption arc. Yes, you can see it coming a mile away, and it does feel premature (probably because they knew the run would be cancelled) but it's still there, and it's still effective - if only because there aren't enough redemption stories around.
Artwork in this is lovely. It belongs in a comic. Colours are generally vibrant, adding to the magic and fantasy of the book.
It's a shame the series didn't continue. There are a bunch of plotlines left open and I would have loved to learn more about the rich world and its characters. Some parts feel rushed, but there's only so much story you can cram into about 6 issues. It's ambitious (rightfully so), memorable, and has a lot of potential that it would have lived up to given the time. Hopefully, DC takes a chance on bringing it back someday.
This story is alone worth the price of the book.
4.5 stars.
...
2) Beowulf
And then there's the issue of Beowulf afterwards. Why? I dunno... I guess he fits into the fantasy theme? He's basically Wolverine: a lab-altered supersoldier who's gruff and kills like nobody's business but has a soft spot for kids. So yeah, I like him. There's an intriguing backstory to him that I want to know more about, and it's interesting the way they twist the old legend with modern technology. The art is nice, too.
4 stars.
...
3) Stalker
This issue, on the other hand, doesn't have an obvious reason to be part of this book. Unless DC really wanted him to tie into something Constantine related. Amaya does go on an adventure with Constantine, but we're missing half that story in the collection. Why they didn't include that story instead of this one, I can't figure out.
Some guy makes a deal with the devil to save his wife and unborn child. Of course, they eventually die and he's given immortal life and murders a bunch of people because he's angry. He's makes a deal to get his soul back if he kills this one specific woman, and he doesn't do it and has to fight the devil.
The art is ugly and what was an interesting idea wasn't executed well enough for me to care about anything that happened.
2 stars.
...
1) Sword of Sorcery
My first thought when I saw this was, "DC has a fantasy thing? Huh..." and then I figured, "Sure, why not give it a try? I love fantasy." And I bought it, got distracted by other books, and didn't get around to reading it until a couple years later.
It's pretty darn good! Maybe I'm biased because a lot of the themes are similar to a story I've been slowly writing myself, but Sword of Sorcery is set in an interesting world amidst political power struggles and features a quick-thinking, big-hearted female protagonist in her teens. Amaya/Amy is a likable hero who never gets annoying. She's surrounded by a cast of other strong women who play well off of her.
The only flaw that stands out to me is the seemingly instant flirtation between Amaya and Preet. He's the "dashing rogue" caught stealing from the royal treasury, their touch sparks a magical reaction that gives him away as heir to the throne, he tries to run, and then there's the whole "Oops, I fell on top of you!" moment. It's saved by the series ending and not giving the characters enough time to solidify a romance.
The best part of the series? Mordiel's redemption arc. Yes, you can see it coming a mile away, and it does feel premature (probably because they knew the run would be cancelled) but it's still there, and it's still effective - if only because there aren't enough redemption stories around.
Artwork in this is lovely. It belongs in a comic. Colours are generally vibrant, adding to the magic and fantasy of the book.
It's a shame the series didn't continue. There are a bunch of plotlines left open and I would have loved to learn more about the rich world and its characters. Some parts feel rushed, but there's only so much story you can cram into about 6 issues. It's ambitious (rightfully so), memorable, and has a lot of potential that it would have lived up to given the time. Hopefully, DC takes a chance on bringing it back someday.
This story is alone worth the price of the book.
4.5 stars.
...
2) Beowulf
And then there's the issue of Beowulf afterwards. Why? I dunno... I guess he fits into the fantasy theme? He's basically Wolverine: a lab-altered supersoldier who's gruff and kills like nobody's business but has a soft spot for kids. So yeah, I like him. There's an intriguing backstory to him that I want to know more about, and it's interesting the way they twist the old legend with modern technology. The art is nice, too.
4 stars.
...
3) Stalker
This issue, on the other hand, doesn't have an obvious reason to be part of this book. Unless DC really wanted him to tie into something Constantine related. Amaya does go on an adventure with Constantine, but we're missing half that story in the collection. Why they didn't include that story instead of this one, I can't figure out.
Some guy makes a deal with the devil to save his wife and unborn child. Of course, they eventually die and he's given immortal life and murders a bunch of people because he's angry. He's makes a deal to get his soul back if he kills this one specific woman, and he doesn't do it and has to fight the devil.
The art is ugly and what was an interesting idea wasn't executed well enough for me to care about anything that happened.
2 stars.
August 8, 2015
I agree with some of the other reviews that I've seen for this one. I was expecting more to happen and it was very good setup for a much longer series run that what it got -- the entirety of which is everything contained in this volume. Also, while I love crossovers, it felt like Constantine was dropped in here really akwardly to try and gain new readers. Wasn't really a fan of his involvement in the overall story-arc. Does anyone know if it's in his comics as well, or just these ones? Cause it also felt like a significant chunk of that story, which I already wasn't a fan of, was just ripped out of the middle of the book or something...
I will say that I did enjoy the feminine dominance in regards to characters, plot, etc. Also while the whole gemstone thing did feel like something that dropped out of some mass-market high fantasy paperback for tweens, or an 80s cartoon, I really didn't mind. That was one of the things I actually liked the most about the world-building. That and the fact that Nilaa (or however it's spelled) was populated by people from Earth originally. Overall, I would say not to bother with reading this particular volume. It's good and if there was more after it, I'd recommend it for sure. But there's not, so it was more "meh" and frustrating than anything else.
I will say that I did enjoy the feminine dominance in regards to characters, plot, etc. Also while the whole gemstone thing did feel like something that dropped out of some mass-market high fantasy paperback for tweens, or an 80s cartoon, I really didn't mind. That was one of the things I actually liked the most about the world-building. That and the fact that Nilaa (or however it's spelled) was populated by people from Earth originally. Overall, I would say not to bother with reading this particular volume. It's good and if there was more after it, I'd recommend it for sure. But there's not, so it was more "meh" and frustrating than anything else.
March 10, 2014
Amethyst. A fun new variant of the Amethyst character. It's true to her origins, but has a bit more fantasy flair. There's also a nice mix of characters, and some good connections to the DC Universe (which the original Amethyst was somewhat short of). Overall, a fun story, even if its ending is quite abrupt [7/10].
Beowulf. A fun mixture of fantasy and post-apocalyptic science-fiction, with some interesting characters and a neat history. This also feels like it was abruptly cut off [7+/10].
Stalker. This story isn't exactly bad, it's just incredibly shallow: there's no subtext to it, just extended fighting and killing that's too decompressed. There's also not a full story, just the start of something [4/10].
Overall, the fantasy stories here were enjoyable, though it's quite obvious that they were all cut off before their authors were done.
Beowulf. A fun mixture of fantasy and post-apocalyptic science-fiction, with some interesting characters and a neat history. This also feels like it was abruptly cut off [7+/10].
Stalker. This story isn't exactly bad, it's just incredibly shallow: there's no subtext to it, just extended fighting and killing that's too decompressed. There's also not a full story, just the start of something [4/10].
Overall, the fantasy stories here were enjoyable, though it's quite obvious that they were all cut off before their authors were done.
March 25, 2019
I am SO happy I finally got this comic! The old Amethyst comics were the first comics I ever bought myself, and I am in love with the ridiculous, birthstone-centric concept. Plus, my now-husband completed my collection of the first run on our first date, so anything Amethyst-related gives me the warm and fuzzies.
I so wish this had been continued - sure, it's not really /that/ good, but I still want more Amethyst in my life! It's fun, and sweet, and Amethyst is such a badass while also being super nice. :)
I so wish this had been continued - sure, it's not really /that/ good, but I still want more Amethyst in my life! It's fun, and sweet, and Amethyst is such a badass while also being super nice. :)
September 6, 2017
5 stars
Thought this comic book was very good. Would be cool to learn sword fighting and sorcery. The house system seems a little weird though. Not used to houses. Sad that this series got cancelled. Hope they will be able to defeat Kaala. Don't really like Constantine either.
Can't wait to read more DC comics!!!!
Thought this comic book was very good. Would be cool to learn sword fighting and sorcery. The house system seems a little weird though. Not used to houses. Sad that this series got cancelled. Hope they will be able to defeat Kaala. Don't really like Constantine either.
Can't wait to read more DC comics!!!!
April 16, 2019
Sword of Sorcery foi um quadrinho de antologia com histórias de capa e espada da DC Comics durante os anos 1970. Quando a DC Comics instaurou a iniciativa Os Novos 52, resolveu incluir a revista em uma nova tentativa de emplacar o título. Dessa vez, a Princesa Ametista do Mundo das Joias, criada na década de 80 e bem popular no Brasil, seria a protagonista do título. Como histórias de back-up, Sword of Sorcery primeiro traria Beowulf e, posteriormente, Stalker, todos histórias medievais. Aqui no Brasil, elas permanecem inéditas. Seria por ser protagonizada por uma mulher? As histórias são todas muito boas, sendo a melhor de Ametista, depois Beowulf e, por fim, Stalker. As histórias de Ametista lembram muito as redes de intrigas e reviravoltas de Game of Thrones, já que a revista foi publicada na época do lançamento da série da HBO. Os enredos de Christy Marx, que trabalhou em desenhos animados dos anos 80, são alguns dos melhores que ela produziu e os desenhos de Aaron Lopresti também estão no seu auge. A história da personagem vai num crescendo, desde a descoberta das suas origens, passando por encontros com John Constantine e chegando, finalmente ao grand finale em um confronto com o maligno Eclipso, oriundo do Mundo das Joias. O meu interesse pela Ametista foi despertado a partir da aparição dela no título Young Justice por Brian Michael Bendis. Fica a torcida para que a Panini publique pelo menos a fase clássica de heroína nos anos 1980.
February 15, 2021
2.75. This was pretty cheesy at parts and I wasn’t crazy about it to begin with. The Constantine section with the crazy CEO lady was confusing and seemed to be completely out of place. However, I started enjoying it more after we meet Preet and Lord Kalaa comes along. The pacing got a little better and it was more interesting at that point. I liked the art work a lot :)
June 26, 2019
A decent update to the Amethyst concept, but I liked the original version better.
April 30, 2017
We have here three reimaginings of older DC properties that defy expectations to one degree or another.
The first is Amethyst by Christy Marx with art by Aaron Lopresti. Marx uses the original comics as a framework for a story that is several steps more mature. The original comics from the '80s were fun enough, but were clearly in line with so many adventure cartoons of the era. One issue I had with the originals was them connecting the exciting fantasy world with the mundane world, using the old trope of an earth child turned magical princess. It was a little cliched, and the "real world" parts just were like dull interludes. Marx not only does not ditch that aspect, but makes it far more interesting and logical. She also more strongly connects the world of Amethyst with the DC Universe in a way that is so obvious, one wonders why this didn't happen before.
Next up is Beowulf by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz and Javier Pina. The original DC Beowulf comics from the '70s were weird and fun in their own way, but ultimately impossible to take seriously as stories utilizing that classic character. Here, Bedard uses the idea of Beowulf to revisit another old DC concept: the world after the Great Disaster. It's an intriguing idea that makes for a great read.
Rounding out the book is Stalker by Marc Andreyko with art by Adrei Bressan. The original Stalker comics were set on a fantasy flat world dominated by various gods and demons. So I was surprised to see the character on ancient Earth, and apparently a Christian. Much like the originals, this story does involve the selling of a soul, but this time with a twist. Though I enjoy the Vertigo Lucifer who is complicated and not really evil, the portrayal of the figure here as an out-and-out trickster devil was fun to read.
All three stories here are prime examples of revamping classic characters and concepts done right. All three boast wonderful artwork. And all three clearly have so much more to tell. Hopefully we've not seen the last of them.
The first is Amethyst by Christy Marx with art by Aaron Lopresti. Marx uses the original comics as a framework for a story that is several steps more mature. The original comics from the '80s were fun enough, but were clearly in line with so many adventure cartoons of the era. One issue I had with the originals was them connecting the exciting fantasy world with the mundane world, using the old trope of an earth child turned magical princess. It was a little cliched, and the "real world" parts just were like dull interludes. Marx not only does not ditch that aspect, but makes it far more interesting and logical. She also more strongly connects the world of Amethyst with the DC Universe in a way that is so obvious, one wonders why this didn't happen before.
Next up is Beowulf by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz and Javier Pina. The original DC Beowulf comics from the '70s were weird and fun in their own way, but ultimately impossible to take seriously as stories utilizing that classic character. Here, Bedard uses the idea of Beowulf to revisit another old DC concept: the world after the Great Disaster. It's an intriguing idea that makes for a great read.
Rounding out the book is Stalker by Marc Andreyko with art by Adrei Bressan. The original Stalker comics were set on a fantasy flat world dominated by various gods and demons. So I was surprised to see the character on ancient Earth, and apparently a Christian. Much like the originals, this story does involve the selling of a soul, but this time with a twist. Though I enjoy the Vertigo Lucifer who is complicated and not really evil, the portrayal of the figure here as an out-and-out trickster devil was fun to read.
All three stories here are prime examples of revamping classic characters and concepts done right. All three boast wonderful artwork. And all three clearly have so much more to tell. Hopefully we've not seen the last of them.
January 13, 2016
This book consists of three separate stories: Amethyst, Beowulf, and Stalker.
Amethyst is the first and longest, starting out very promisingly with stellar art from Aaron Lopresti, a good amount of fantasy world building, and an intriguing plot centering on Amethyst and her mother coming into conflict with Amethyst's power-hungry aunt. If the entire story had been about that family rivalry it would have been an overall interesting read, but any potential the story had was dismissed for seemingly no reason right in the middle, only to be supplanted by the sudden presences of DC Comics villain Eclipso and longtime Vertigo character John Constantine. The addition of these new antagonists shunts the prior issues between Amethyst and her aunt to the back burner, and the original plot is resolved as a side note to the entirely underwhelming and shoehorned conflict with Eclipso. The deck-chair reshuffling smacks of editorial interference, and the story certainly suffers as a result, ending on a rushed, unsatisfying, and unfinished note. If Beowulf and Stalker hadn't been included, perhaps the space they occupied could have been used to provide Marx's story with enough room to properly develop.
Beowulf is short and dull, featuring a genetically-engineered berserker in a post-apocalyptic future indiscriminately killing anything that looks at him funny, then tossing him back to the present seemingly for the sole sake of referencing other DC Comics characters. It's definitely hurt by its ham-handed attempts to tie itself to some larger DC Comics world.
Stalker is so pointless and stupid that I'm not going to go to the trouble of describing it or even bother finishing thi
Amethyst is the first and longest, starting out very promisingly with stellar art from Aaron Lopresti, a good amount of fantasy world building, and an intriguing plot centering on Amethyst and her mother coming into conflict with Amethyst's power-hungry aunt. If the entire story had been about that family rivalry it would have been an overall interesting read, but any potential the story had was dismissed for seemingly no reason right in the middle, only to be supplanted by the sudden presences of DC Comics villain Eclipso and longtime Vertigo character John Constantine. The addition of these new antagonists shunts the prior issues between Amethyst and her aunt to the back burner, and the original plot is resolved as a side note to the entirely underwhelming and shoehorned conflict with Eclipso. The deck-chair reshuffling smacks of editorial interference, and the story certainly suffers as a result, ending on a rushed, unsatisfying, and unfinished note. If Beowulf and Stalker hadn't been included, perhaps the space they occupied could have been used to provide Marx's story with enough room to properly develop.
Beowulf is short and dull, featuring a genetically-engineered berserker in a post-apocalyptic future indiscriminately killing anything that looks at him funny, then tossing him back to the present seemingly for the sole sake of referencing other DC Comics characters. It's definitely hurt by its ham-handed attempts to tie itself to some larger DC Comics world.
Stalker is so pointless and stupid that I'm not going to go to the trouble of describing it or even bother finishing thi
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2013
This was a great reboot of the old Amethyst series and now I'm kind of sad that DC canceled it.
A great sword and sorcery tale and a strong origin for the heroine. All of the characters, especially the main character Amaya were well written. I would recommend this collection for the Amethyst stuff alone.
This collection also features two other tales: DC's post-apocalyptic reimagining of the epic hero Beowulf and a story about an Immortal killer named Stalker. I really liked the the two Beowulf stories. The first is a pretty straight retelling of the poem with the post-apoc twist of Beowulf being a pre-fall super soldier. The second story was a brief time-travel tale to introduce a modern day character to the setting.
The Stalker tale kind of sucked in my opinion. It started with a warrior king of ancient times making a deal with the devil (unlike Marvel's take on the subject of Hell, DC has no problem with this being straight up Lucifer.) As most deals with Ole Scratch go, it went badly and he was cursed to walk the earth. Being called Stalker, you can imagine what he did to pass the time. After dumping his origin on you it drops into the plot of End of Days.
A great sword and sorcery tale and a strong origin for the heroine. All of the characters, especially the main character Amaya were well written. I would recommend this collection for the Amethyst stuff alone.
This collection also features two other tales: DC's post-apocalyptic reimagining of the epic hero Beowulf and a story about an Immortal killer named Stalker. I really liked the the two Beowulf stories. The first is a pretty straight retelling of the poem with the post-apoc twist of Beowulf being a pre-fall super soldier. The second story was a brief time-travel tale to introduce a modern day character to the setting.
The Stalker tale kind of sucked in my opinion. It started with a warrior king of ancient times making a deal with the devil (unlike Marvel's take on the subject of Hell, DC has no problem with this being straight up Lucifer.) As most deals with Ole Scratch go, it went badly and he was cursed to walk the earth. Being called Stalker, you can imagine what he did to pass the time. After dumping his origin on you it drops into the plot of End of Days.
September 10, 2013
When I heard DC was rebooting comics through the new 52 line I did not expect this to be one of them. I am so glad they did.
The story starts out with Amy, a goth chick who gets pulled into Gemworld because of her royal bloodline. She quickly learns that she needs to learn to control her family's magic in order to survive. The artwork is beautiful, the dialogue is realistic, and *le gasp* the women work together!
This is the first graphic novel I've read in quite some time where the women are voluntarily working together. Not because they have dirt on each other, not because a male character says to play nice, but because they genuinely understand the value of teamwork. It works well for them and I'm looking forward to seeing what volume 2 brings.
The story starts out with Amy, a goth chick who gets pulled into Gemworld because of her royal bloodline. She quickly learns that she needs to learn to control her family's magic in order to survive. The artwork is beautiful, the dialogue is realistic, and *le gasp* the women work together!
This is the first graphic novel I've read in quite some time where the women are voluntarily working together. Not because they have dirt on each other, not because a male character says to play nice, but because they genuinely understand the value of teamwork. It works well for them and I'm looking forward to seeing what volume 2 brings.
December 17, 2020
3.5 stars.
Read as single issues.
This as arguably my least favorite title of rhe Amethyst saga, though it does get points from bringing Amethyst full bore into the DCU.
It just seems somewhat divorced from the books that preceded it, which was a bit jarring, tough it does redeem itself in the end by utilizing a rare DCU in an interesting manner. (Lord Opal can't ALWAYS be the primary antagonist!!)
Read as single issues.
This as arguably my least favorite title of rhe Amethyst saga, though it does get points from bringing Amethyst full bore into the DCU.
It just seems somewhat divorced from the books that preceded it, which was a bit jarring, tough it does redeem itself in the end by utilizing a rare DCU in an interesting manner. (Lord Opal can't ALWAYS be the primary antagonist!!)
August 9, 2016
The main story is a bit of a mess. As someone else mentioned, it feels like the editors had the author change the story about halfway through and the story suffers for it.
It's a bit of a shame that it wasn't very good and it was cancelled so quickly, since it's one of the few comics I've seen where the artists control themselves and don't make all the women look like idealized porn stars.
It's a bit of a shame that it wasn't very good and it was cancelled so quickly, since it's one of the few comics I've seen where the artists control themselves and don't make all the women look like idealized porn stars.
February 28, 2013
I can't believe DC is cancelling this series! It was so great.
October 3, 2013
Mostly unimpressive. But I loved the Beowulf segment. He should have his own title. Extra star for being a Sword and Sorcery collection.
March 31, 2014
The Amethyst storyline was just so-so; the Stalker story was really bad. But the Beowulf story was pretty good.
September 28, 2017
This character Amethyst popped up in one of the volumes of Justice League Dark that I read. Every since I read that book I've been wanting to get my hands on this one so I could find out more about the character. I kept checking Amazon, but used copies of this book were running 2-3 times times the cover price. I finally broke down and got a digital version through Comixology.
The book collects issues #0-8 of Sword of Sorcery. Issues #0-3 have a Beowulf backup story written by Tony Bedard and art by Jesus Saiz. Issues #4-7 have a Stalker backup from writer Marc Andreyko and artist Andrei Bressan. The backup stories were decent, but were not nearly as good as the main story was. I enjoyed both the writing and art a little better in the Beowulf story. I'd have been much happier if the book had left those backups out and given more time to the Princess Amaya/Amethyst story.
Amy thought she was a normal girl and that her mom was on the run from something. Amy's mom promises to take her home for the first time on the day she turns 17. Once that day arrives, Amy is in for the shock of her life. Where he mother takes her is another planet. It turns out that her name isn't really Amy. It's Amaya and she's a princess of House Amethyst. Her mom's real name is Lady Graciel. Amaya finds out that her mom has what would have been known on Earth as magical powers. Graciel fled their homeworld years before because her sister, Mordiel, had turned evil and wanted all of House Amethyst's powers to herself. Since members of each house can't possibly receive their powers until age 17, that's why they had to stay hidden until now so Graciel could divide part of the house's power with her daughter.
In order to teleport to their homeworld, Amaya and her mom had to leave a teleportation crystal behind on Earth. They left it on a mountain top where they thought nobody would find it since they had never seen any sort of magic during their time on Earth. Unfortunately for them, John Constantine is drawn to the crystal's power and keeps it for himself until he thinks it will be able to help him out of a jam. While Amaya is getting filled in on her history and learning to use her new powers so she can fight against her evil aunt, Constantine uses the crystal to summon Amaya back to Earth. Her time helping Constantine is what I mentioned earlier about her being in Justice League Dark. Those exploits aren't collected here so you'll have to track that book down to read all of her New 52 adventures.
Once she has helped Constantine, she decides that instead of going immediately back home to her mom, she wants to go to Chicago for pizza. Of course, she has no Earth money on her and has to bum $20 from Constantine. He tells her that she owes him. She doesn't think it's a big deal, but you never want to be indebted to Constantine. She gets ready to go back home & decides to entrust Constantine with keeping the crystal safe because if she takes the crystal with her, she can never return to Earth. Constantine summons Amaya one more time and tricks her into taking a disguised Eclipso with her. Constantine wants Eclipso off Earth and out of his hair so he's convinced Eclipso to go to his homeworld and take vengeance on the people that banished him to Earth centuries before. It just so happens that the person responsible for banishing him is one of Amaya's ancestors in House Amethyst. So he's got a special grudge to settle with her family.
I really got into this story. The parts on Earth were cool, but learning about the different houses on the gem world was what really hooked me. Each house has their own unique power. Evidently not many people read this series when it was out because it got cancelled after issue #8. I, for one, am sad there isn't more. Writer Christy Marx did a great job and has me interested enough in the character that I want to track down past iterations of the character to get my fix. The writing gets 4 stars.
Aaron Lopresti is the lone artist on issues #0-2 & #5-8. He works in collaboration with Claude St Aubin on issue #3. Travis Moore's lone issue is #4. Lopresti has the best art in the book. None of the art here is bad, but Lopresti's shines the brightest. His artwork is just a notch or 2 lower than the most elite artists at DC. I really enjoy finding artists that I have never heard of before and that have art I love. It gives me another name to look out for when purchasing comics because I know those books will look great. The art in this book gets 4 stars.
This ended up being a 4 star overall book. I really recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good fantasy type story with lots of magic. I know that's not everyone's thing, but if you enjoy that type of stuff, grab this. I'm sure many people overlooked this title when it was out because they had no clue what it was about. All of those people missed out.
The book collects issues #0-8 of Sword of Sorcery. Issues #0-3 have a Beowulf backup story written by Tony Bedard and art by Jesus Saiz. Issues #4-7 have a Stalker backup from writer Marc Andreyko and artist Andrei Bressan. The backup stories were decent, but were not nearly as good as the main story was. I enjoyed both the writing and art a little better in the Beowulf story. I'd have been much happier if the book had left those backups out and given more time to the Princess Amaya/Amethyst story.
Amy thought she was a normal girl and that her mom was on the run from something. Amy's mom promises to take her home for the first time on the day she turns 17. Once that day arrives, Amy is in for the shock of her life. Where he mother takes her is another planet. It turns out that her name isn't really Amy. It's Amaya and she's a princess of House Amethyst. Her mom's real name is Lady Graciel. Amaya finds out that her mom has what would have been known on Earth as magical powers. Graciel fled their homeworld years before because her sister, Mordiel, had turned evil and wanted all of House Amethyst's powers to herself. Since members of each house can't possibly receive their powers until age 17, that's why they had to stay hidden until now so Graciel could divide part of the house's power with her daughter.
In order to teleport to their homeworld, Amaya and her mom had to leave a teleportation crystal behind on Earth. They left it on a mountain top where they thought nobody would find it since they had never seen any sort of magic during their time on Earth. Unfortunately for them, John Constantine is drawn to the crystal's power and keeps it for himself until he thinks it will be able to help him out of a jam. While Amaya is getting filled in on her history and learning to use her new powers so she can fight against her evil aunt, Constantine uses the crystal to summon Amaya back to Earth. Her time helping Constantine is what I mentioned earlier about her being in Justice League Dark. Those exploits aren't collected here so you'll have to track that book down to read all of her New 52 adventures.
Once she has helped Constantine, she decides that instead of going immediately back home to her mom, she wants to go to Chicago for pizza. Of course, she has no Earth money on her and has to bum $20 from Constantine. He tells her that she owes him. She doesn't think it's a big deal, but you never want to be indebted to Constantine. She gets ready to go back home & decides to entrust Constantine with keeping the crystal safe because if she takes the crystal with her, she can never return to Earth. Constantine summons Amaya one more time and tricks her into taking a disguised Eclipso with her. Constantine wants Eclipso off Earth and out of his hair so he's convinced Eclipso to go to his homeworld and take vengeance on the people that banished him to Earth centuries before. It just so happens that the person responsible for banishing him is one of Amaya's ancestors in House Amethyst. So he's got a special grudge to settle with her family.
I really got into this story. The parts on Earth were cool, but learning about the different houses on the gem world was what really hooked me. Each house has their own unique power. Evidently not many people read this series when it was out because it got cancelled after issue #8. I, for one, am sad there isn't more. Writer Christy Marx did a great job and has me interested enough in the character that I want to track down past iterations of the character to get my fix. The writing gets 4 stars.
Aaron Lopresti is the lone artist on issues #0-2 & #5-8. He works in collaboration with Claude St Aubin on issue #3. Travis Moore's lone issue is #4. Lopresti has the best art in the book. None of the art here is bad, but Lopresti's shines the brightest. His artwork is just a notch or 2 lower than the most elite artists at DC. I really enjoy finding artists that I have never heard of before and that have art I love. It gives me another name to look out for when purchasing comics because I know those books will look great. The art in this book gets 4 stars.
This ended up being a 4 star overall book. I really recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good fantasy type story with lots of magic. I know that's not everyone's thing, but if you enjoy that type of stuff, grab this. I'm sure many people overlooked this title when it was out because they had no clue what it was about. All of those people missed out.
March 7, 2019
I had no previous experience with Amethyst or Gemworld. I only heard that Matthew at majorspoilers.com liked it, which was good enough for me to check it out, particularly since it was pretty obviously fantasy-themed, with swords, and that tends to be something I enjoy. It starts out looking like a pretty standard high school drama, with a female protagonist who doesn't fit in. It then goes to another world, with some interesting magical ideas, characters, creatures, and places. I wonder whether it might be more enjoyable if you had read more of this, and understood the powers of the different houses. Having little knowledge of the character or setting, and only marginal knowledge of DC comics in general, I had no trouble following this and getting to know a pretty neat corner of that universe. It helped that I knew who Constantine was, and that he was not a particularly nice fellow. Beyond that, everything else is well laid out, and enjoyable to read.
November 20, 2019
Ho adorato la vecchia incarnazione di Amethyst, disegnata da Colon, tra gli altri. Quelle storie anni '80 carine e naif, molto fantasy.
Questo reboot del New 52 è senza dubbio più moderno, più Games of Thrones, e per giunta pubblicato quando la serie televisiva ancora era agli inizi, ma senza un eccesso di sesso e violenza che poco si adatterebbe a un fumetto per ragazzi che parla di tematiche familiari.
Decisamente buoni i disegni.
In coda anche le altre due miniserie, Beowulf e Stalker. Mentre di Beowulf posso solo dire che mi è piaciuta questa storia, rivisitazione del mito in un medioevo post catastrofe, di Stalker la mia opinione è alquanto negativa.
Nel complesso tre stelle il volume le merita.
Certo, ripensandoci è strano come le serie del New 52 che a me piacevano o interessavano di più siano tutte state chiuse molto in fretta, mentre quelle che mi interessavano meno o che proprio aborrivo siano continuate più a lungo.
Questo reboot del New 52 è senza dubbio più moderno, più Games of Thrones, e per giunta pubblicato quando la serie televisiva ancora era agli inizi, ma senza un eccesso di sesso e violenza che poco si adatterebbe a un fumetto per ragazzi che parla di tematiche familiari.
Decisamente buoni i disegni.
In coda anche le altre due miniserie, Beowulf e Stalker. Mentre di Beowulf posso solo dire che mi è piaciuta questa storia, rivisitazione del mito in un medioevo post catastrofe, di Stalker la mia opinione è alquanto negativa.
Nel complesso tre stelle il volume le merita.
Certo, ripensandoci è strano come le serie del New 52 che a me piacevano o interessavano di più siano tutte state chiuse molto in fretta, mentre quelle che mi interessavano meno o che proprio aborrivo siano continuate più a lungo.
May 29, 2021
Nothing really of note here, though a quick free read... art lacks nice 80's Saturday Morning Cartoon vibe of original, the story a true paint-by-numbers Candyland meets Dune kinda thing... then there's an episode missing with Constantine (guess we're supposed to go out and buy another TPB for it?) and he feels written a dick too far by half, and Eclipso comes sorta out of left field to mess everything up, which is good in the way everything was boringly set up before, but bad in the way things that were set up turned out to be pretty meaningless...
...the BeoWulf (more like BIOWulf) story included was initially sorta an interesting take, though he seemed pretty Wolverine Lite and the episodic route it was heading was pretty boring... the STALKER story was far too short for whatever emotional pull it could achieve, that version of the devil's been tired for 30 years, and anyway the original comic's much more weirdly interesting...
...the BeoWulf (more like BIOWulf) story included was initially sorta an interesting take, though he seemed pretty Wolverine Lite and the episodic route it was heading was pretty boring... the STALKER story was far too short for whatever emotional pull it could achieve, that version of the devil's been tired for 30 years, and anyway the original comic's much more weirdly interesting...
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