Slaine: The Horned God - Part One

Slaine NL #1

by Pat Mills, Simon Bisley

2000 AD's ever-popular Celtic hero returns with a vengeance In this full-colour, fully painted new edition of Mills and Bisley's classic tale, Ukko the dwarf narrates the story of how Slaine came to be crowned High King of Tir-Nan-Og...The people of Tir-Nan-Og, the Land of the Young, have suffered for some time in the clutches of the Drunes, strange druids who have poisoned the very land itself with their vile magic. Slaine has had enough of their tyranny, and communes with the Earth Goddess to discover some shocking truths about the priesthood and his own future Now Slaine must unite all four kings of Ti--Nan-Og to gain the use of their mystical weapons, as he and his Sessair tribe prepare for all-out war.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, Comic Book, Magic

104 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1989

About the author

Pat Mills, born in 1949 and nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since.

His comics are notable for their violence and anti-authoritarianism. He is best known for creating 2000 AD and playing a major part in the development of Judge Dredd.

Reviews

[Amal El-Mohtar]

This is so amazingly 80s-fantasy. In feel it's simultaneously a bloke-y Mists of Avalon and an actually straight-up translation of something like the táin bó cúailnge into a fantasy adventure comic. It was good fun, in a Real-Men-Love-the-Goddess-by-being-THE-HORNED-GOD sort of way. One gets the feeling that the writer is a Sensitive New Age Dude while the artist just likes drawing cheesecake. A lot.

But the appearance of Legendary Tartan + Sporan did kind of make my day.

[Richard Schaefer]

This is a fantastical epic based on Celtic myths, including the founding of Ireland. While at first it looks like yet another story about a violent barbarian in the Conan tradition, it actually has a lot more going on; the book is a discussion of femininity and masculinity (and matriarchy and patriarchy), of gods and manipulation, and of pleasure and pain. Add to that a Nabokov-influenced framing device (the narrative being shared between two characters, one favoring gratuitous sex and violence and the other favoring a more nuanced and esoteric narrative) and honestly it’s pretty sophisticated stuff. Plus the art is spectacular, but that’s what you expect from Bisley. Check this comic out! It’s thoughtful, funny, violent, sexy, and beautiful.

[Matthew]

Remarkable art from Simon Bisley — raw, untamed talent bursting with vitality. Every page is a new experiment, as if he were trying to amuse himself with his own imagination. Which is understandable, given the soporific script.

Pat Mills begins his tedious epic by relaying a long series of facts he says the reader will need to know to understand the coming tale. Straight exposition is a terrible way to begin, but fine. The problem is, the exposition never ends; there is no point where the story “kicks off.” We are constantly being lectured at. When he finally stops to dramatize a scene, it’s philosophical discussion rather than action. Towards the end there are a couple perfunctory action sequences but too little, too late.

The underlying theme of the book, which Mills hammers relentlessly, is that matriarchy is peaceful, wise, and natural, while patriarchy is vicious, cruel, and destructive. And he posits an ancient, suppressed Celtic religion that was entirely matriarchal. Apparently Mills based this feminist screed on a handful of discredited pop history/mythology books he read back in the 80s.

[Somnium]

Kao što i Toppi-ja vredi kupiti pre svega zbog crteža, tako ne žalim ni što sam Slaine-a kupila. Priča na početku ovog prvog dela je dosta konfuzna, pa čak i zamorna. Milion nekih bogova, kraljeva, plemena... ne može čovek da pohvata sve odjednom (a videću kasnije imaju li svi oni i neku svrhu). Imala sam osećaj da mi treba pomoćni papir da pribeležim gde je ko i šta je ko. Međutim, ispostavilo se da polako sve dođe na svoje kako radnja odmiče.

Ali, ljudi moji, koga boli uvo za priču kada vidite šta radi ovaj Simon Bisley!!! Kakve su to boje, kakva teskobna atmosfera, kakvi bizarni likovi, koliko krvi, bujnih ženskih izazovnih tela... i naravno razbacani muževni polunagi sirovi Slaine! Malo je reći da sam oduševljena! Čista umetnost.

Da ocenjujem samo crtež, bila bi čista 10!

[Amy K.]

Combining gorgeous art with intriguing inversions of the sort of tropes one expects in sword-and-sorcery stories of this type, Slaine: The Horned God is an intriguing read. I'm still not sure I actually like any of the characters, but I don't suppose that's a requirement. I'm certainly interested enough to find out what happens in the next volume.

[Robyn Goodmanham]

This was one of my favourite Slaine stories.

[Caroline]

Loved that it was inspired by Irish mythology but a bit too complicated!

[Chema Santos]

Simon Bisley. Simon Bisley, Simoooon Bisleeeyyy!!! La obra de este hombre calcinó las mentes y los ojos de los adolescentes aficionados a los cómics y aspirantes a ilustradores en los noventa (como yo), nos llenó de ansías por dibujar anatomías desbordantes y violencia desatada, orgías de batallas bárbaras, músculos, venas... el brutal despliegue técnico apabullante de un joven con un talento insólito para pegarte a la viñeta con la mandíbula dislocada y pensar "jooooooder, ¿como lo hace?"... todo lo q era y es el cómic Slaine, el dios cornudo!

Si en lo 80 el jefe de las superilustraciones de fantasía heroica era Richard Corben, en los 90 Bisley recogió el testigo y nos aplastó con páginas fascinantes q desbordaban testosterona y magnificencia por los cuatro costados, gritaban: soy una máquina, soy una bestia del dibujo y un diablo de la pintura. FASCINANTE.

Como historia está bien, con apuntes interesantes de mitología escocesa y celta mezclada con espada y brujería a lo Conan, también humor, pero la chicha está en los lápices de nuestro querido Biz.

[Chris Young]

I have never been a Bisley fan, but reading the Horned God, I can see why so many people are. When read as a complete story, the artwork has an atmospheric power, mystery and movement that isn't apparent by just looking at a panel, or even a page.
I'm very much looking forward to parts 2 and 3.

[Jbussen]

Great! 5 stars! - if you get it free from the Library. Pay for it? 2 stars.

[Scifi70sface]

Brilliant! amazing artwork, great story. Should be a movie. top notch entertainment. This started a genre all of it's own - an amazing art style, combined with an serious adult themes at the centre, and containing some of the most amazing new ideas in comics to date- the warpspasm is worth the entry price alone!