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Birthright #9
Birthright, Vol. 9: War of the Worlds
Mikey Rhodes was just another missing child…until he rejoined his family. No longer a boy, he’d grown into a mighty warrior who’d freed Terrenos from an evil wizard during his lost years. But that’s only half the story…Lore has arrived, and now the war for Earth begins!
Collects BIRTHRIGHT #41-45
Collects BIRTHRIGHT #41-45
112 pages, Paperback
First published August 25, 2020
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125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 10, 2020
Did anyone not see that ending coming?
Oh, shit! They're totally gonna get...
Yup.
I can see why some people are maybe ready to get off the train, but I'm still interested in this title.
Looking forward to whatever happens next.
Oh, shit! They're totally gonna get...
Yup.
I can see why some people are maybe ready to get off the train, but I'm still interested in this title.
Looking forward to whatever happens next.
August 22, 2020
Lost interest in this one. I feel like its gone on for too long
June 14, 2021
The final fight is here as the plane between dimensions loosens up and King Lore is here the fight begins. They make a plan to fight him and his forces but also make plans to close the gates on both sides to defeat the forces. The fight between Lore and Mikey has the usual stuff, them trying to insult each other or outdo with words but then you see Lore's mastercard and his power and sort of his origin earlier on and all that but when the fight ends, its expected and king of anti climactic and the whole volume ends with some good yet expected things.
Goodish volume but then again the big fight was not as heavy or epic as it should have been but there was a great yet painful reunion and losses even in the end. Maybe the world is saved but was it worth it? What will Mikey do next as we head towards the conclusion is a big thing. The art was sublime especially with the forces of Terrenos marching to earth. I am loving how the artist grew so much in this time.
Goodish volume but then again the big fight was not as heavy or epic as it should have been but there was a great yet painful reunion and losses even in the end. Maybe the world is saved but was it worth it? What will Mikey do next as we head towards the conclusion is a big thing. The art was sublime especially with the forces of Terrenos marching to earth. I am loving how the artist grew so much in this time.
August 25, 2020
Pretty Full Metal rad-tacular battles throughout, including a final denouement with Lore...who it turns out has a deeper connection to Earth than we had suspected.
At this stage it's a pretty bog-standard 3-stars for story as as a series but the amazing art and colouring is well worth an extra star in my view.
At this stage it's a pretty bog-standard 3-stars for story as as a series but the amazing art and colouring is well worth an extra star in my view.
September 14, 2020
The penultimate arc of Birthright is a very quick read, with at least two issues worth of splash pages across the five issue count. Things are ramping up to the end, but there's still a good amount of twists and turns to be hand (although the Witches thing came out of nowhere). The final page cliffhanger is a gut punch of a role reversal as well - it looks like the series could have ended here, aside from this major new problem.
Andrei Bressan's artwork is still phenomenal however - the vast battlescapes he manages to draw are so full of detail it's almost a shame that you don't spend more time on them because they have so few words on them to take in. Adriano Lucas' colours are also beautiful; the culture shock between the areas of Terrenos involved in the story is really well done as a result of the differing colour palettes.
One more trade to go, and I have no idea where we're going next. Fun!
Andrei Bressan's artwork is still phenomenal however - the vast battlescapes he manages to draw are so full of detail it's almost a shame that you don't spend more time on them because they have so few words on them to take in. Adriano Lucas' colours are also beautiful; the culture shock between the areas of Terrenos involved in the story is really well done as a result of the differing colour palettes.
One more trade to go, and I have no idea where we're going next. Fun!
March 1, 2021
Another great volume of Birthright. This series is nearing its end and has not lost its steam. The artwork and colors are amazing as always. No surprises here. We finally get the showdown between Lore and Mikey. I really enjoyed Williamson's inclusion of Lore's secret origin. This has arguably been one of my favorite indie series to read.
March 14, 2021
The God King Lore's forces have come to Earth for the final battle, but wait...Some nice splash pages of dragons and other monsters fighting helicopters and jets, while tanks and soldiers fight against the massed forces of Terrenos. The artwork has been one of the big draws of this title, while the story has tended to hit the same beats over and over, and that's the case yet again in this arc, which still hasn't concluded the overall story (which really should be finished by this point). I hope Andre Bressan eventually hooks up with a writer who is truly worthy of his artistic talents...
September 18, 2021
This volume has some of the best art in the series! Story-wise, a very action-packed arc, though I wish we'd seen more of the witches...they were discarded far too quickly and without much explanation of their history or how they even ended up in the present time/location (no spoilers!).
October 26, 2020
A rather glorious battle and what I thought was the last volume but no...
I enjoyed this one but I think the ending seems a bit contrived to drag it out for longer and I'm not sure what that story will be.
I enjoyed this one but I think the ending seems a bit contrived to drag it out for longer and I'm not sure what that story will be.
December 17, 2020
Been reading this series for years now and we are finally getting the awaited war! And it didn't disappoint.
October 1, 2020
If Birthright were a person it would be a marathon runner with chaffed, bleeding nipples.
Like, you didn't have to go this long. You could have stopped and it would have been fine. You weren't going to win anyway.
Our favorite son has a big ol' brawl with Lore and fuuuuuucking finally . The Earth forces are endlessly duking it out with magic beasts because that's a totally believable situation even within the parameters of the fantasy established. Included is this paramilitary Earth group backing the first family up. Which I hate. It's just so dumb and I have already forgotten the nicknames of the fools who got shredded by werewolves or whatever. Maybe one of them was "Bulldog" or "Chud". Dad's still a dunce, Mom still wears the pants, Brennan still oscillates between being a little shit and saving the world. I think. I can't remember the first 4 issues.
And here in the final frames to set up the finale is a classic switcheroo where , which isn't necessarily expected but lacks the emotional punch it reaches for since the ENTIRE SERIES has been overwrought with and fucking of course that's what happens.
The art is still cool but just doesn't compensate for the absolute tedium of the story. At this point, every other page is a giant battle and so those B A D A S S moments in the panels lose their edge from the sheer over-saturation of orc faces exploding and gory raw-skinned wizard kings. It isn't impressive anymore, even if it is nice to look at.
Kudos to Josh Williamson for choosing and idea and unflinchingly staying exactly in his lane for the entire duration of the series I guess. Some innovation on the trope or some unexpected storytelling just won't do when your trying to do work telling a one-note tale.
The most exciting thing about the upcoming final volume is that I can stop reading it at the end. I do love shitting on this series though and I will miss that. Good news however, it will be i n c r e d i b l y easy to replace.
Like, you didn't have to go this long. You could have stopped and it would have been fine. You weren't going to win anyway.
Our favorite son has a big ol' brawl with Lore and fuuuuuucking finally . The Earth forces are endlessly duking it out with magic beasts because that's a totally believable situation even within the parameters of the fantasy established. Included is this paramilitary Earth group backing the first family up. Which I hate. It's just so dumb and I have already forgotten the nicknames of the fools who got shredded by werewolves or whatever. Maybe one of them was "Bulldog" or "Chud". Dad's still a dunce, Mom still wears the pants, Brennan still oscillates between being a little shit and saving the world. I think. I can't remember the first 4 issues.
And here in the final frames to set up the finale is a classic switcheroo where , which isn't necessarily expected but lacks the emotional punch it reaches for since the ENTIRE SERIES has been overwrought with and fucking of course that's what happens.
The art is still cool but just doesn't compensate for the absolute tedium of the story. At this point, every other page is a giant battle and so those B A D A S S moments in the panels lose their edge from the sheer over-saturation of orc faces exploding and gory raw-skinned wizard kings. It isn't impressive anymore, even if it is nice to look at.
Kudos to Josh Williamson for choosing and idea and unflinchingly staying exactly in his lane for the entire duration of the series I guess. Some innovation on the trope or some unexpected storytelling just won't do when your trying to do work telling a one-note tale.
The most exciting thing about the upcoming final volume is that I can stop reading it at the end. I do love shitting on this series though and I will miss that. Good news however, it will be i n c r e d i b l y easy to replace.
August 23, 2020
It's still fun to read I guess.
September 19, 2020
3.5 stars
Can't wait to see how this series concludes
Can't wait to see how this series concludes
December 22, 2025
The final confrontation with Lore. Siiiiiiiiick.
Sorry, did other stuff happen in this comic? I was so focused on Mikey riding a motorcycle and slashing his lava-dripping sword through the creatures of darkness that I must have missed it.
If I did, I would have said something about how the stuff with the witches felt pretty rushed and underdone, that Birthright might have benefited from a few fewer issues with the Five Mages ongoing plot and a couple more setting up Lore and the Earthside magic side of things. The same is true for Brennan as a prodigy, most of his training and a good chunk of his development happens offscreen, so it kind of gives the feeling that he just suddenly becomes this magical whiz kid able to do what five mages barely did in peacetime, during the heat of a battle. Also why the fuck did Rya keep her with her during the final fight, one swing of a troll's hammer and it's paste!
But Mikey punched Lore through a fucking kaiju! And Lore got so many sick villain lines - being a true BBEG with villain dialogue to match, and he flew through some Blackhawks!
9/10, I could be talked down to dropping half a point if someone interrogated me on my positions on everything that didn't involve Lore. But the fact of the matter is that Lore *was* here and the final fight was sick as fuck.
Sorry, did other stuff happen in this comic? I was so focused on Mikey riding a motorcycle and slashing his lava-dripping sword through the creatures of darkness that I must have missed it.
If I did, I would have said something about how the stuff with the witches felt pretty rushed and underdone, that Birthright might have benefited from a few fewer issues with the Five Mages ongoing plot and a couple more setting up Lore and the Earthside magic side of things. The same is true for Brennan as a prodigy, most of his training and a good chunk of his development happens offscreen, so it kind of gives the feeling that he just suddenly becomes this magical whiz kid able to do what five mages barely did in peacetime, during the heat of a battle. Also why the fuck did Rya keep her with her during the final fight, one swing of a troll's hammer and it's paste!
But Mikey punched Lore through a fucking kaiju! And Lore got so many sick villain lines - being a true BBEG with villain dialogue to match, and he flew through some Blackhawks!
9/10, I could be talked down to dropping half a point if someone interrogated me on my positions on everything that didn't involve Lore. But the fact of the matter is that Lore *was* here and the final fight was sick as fuck.
June 8, 2021
It all comes down to this! Or does it?
The barrier has fallen between Earth and Terrenos, and the God King Lore has brought his armies to Earth. After we find out that Lore is originally from Earth and was taught that HE was the Chosen One (not Mikey), we see that he is still gaining his strength here.
The Plan: Mikey goes to kill Lore, Brennan uses his control of magic to use the current barrier between worlds to close the portal between them, M&B's parents cross over to Terrenos to draw a symbol so the portal can take hold there, and Rya guards Brennan.
The plan goes off without a hitch, including an epic battle between Mikey and Lore (FINISH HIM!), but... the parents miss the gate to come home to Earth when they stop to rescue some children.
So... what seemed like the end... has one more Volume. Really looking forward to it.
Strong recommend.
PS At an only 10 Volume series, this one is good for a straight through read.
The barrier has fallen between Earth and Terrenos, and the God King Lore has brought his armies to Earth. After we find out that Lore is originally from Earth and was taught that HE was the Chosen One (not Mikey), we see that he is still gaining his strength here.
The Plan: Mikey goes to kill Lore, Brennan uses his control of magic to use the current barrier between worlds to close the portal between them, M&B's parents cross over to Terrenos to draw a symbol so the portal can take hold there, and Rya guards Brennan.
The plan goes off without a hitch, including an epic battle between Mikey and Lore (FINISH HIM!), but... the parents miss the gate to come home to Earth when they stop to rescue some children.
So... what seemed like the end... has one more Volume. Really looking forward to it.
Strong recommend.
PS At an only 10 Volume series, this one is good for a straight through read.
May 10, 2025
The war comes to a close but the story continues. Mikey and his forces make a last ditch effort to stop God King Lore and his monsters as they invade Earth. This volume showcased the amazing artwork of Andrei Bressan. He got to unleash some amazing double page spreads and his fights scenes, especially the climactic battle were epic. He should be a household name if he isn't already. The story was very straightforward which hasn't always been the case in this series. This was war. Now, I did feel it went by too quickly especially for the build up and the actual battle between Lore and Mikey ending too quickly but it was glorious to see unfold. I'm not sure what's left in the final volume but the series has been entertaining as hell. Overall, an action packed, emotional, fight-filled read.
October 3, 2021
A very intense battle and granted I have no idea why they tried to put in the part of Lore's backstory where he visited Earth since it really did not add anything to his backstory other then he has been on Earth before. But still the battle was great and intense and the drama about if the plan would go off was really well done and it helped build up to the climax and that cliffhanger was also really good.
May 29, 2024
This could easily have been the last volume, but no Williamson had to break our heart one more time. If I'm being honest, I was feeling reluctant towards the direction this story was taking. BIRTHRIGHT is an adrenaline-pumping, visually fascinating issue in the series. The story has great character interactions with a lot of heart as everyone races to the goal, and the artwork practically glows. Well worth the wait. An absolutely epic comic book.
November 22, 2025
Wow Page after page of complicated battle scenes, beautiful Art and the story came to some very satisfying conclusions, I would not grade this story as high as I did except what I was really grading was the entire Epic, I know there is one more Volume to go and I am anxious to get started on it. but I have said it before and I will say it once again, Read this series in order and do not fear that it will be a waste of your time or money, This is a Good Read.
August 26, 2020
Pretty much a non-stop extravaganza of action sequences.
It’s the equivalent of many superhero movies that throw nonsensical CGI battle sequences at the end of the movie. Plus, the dialogue is cliche and tiring. Still, it’s nice to finally see the Mikey v. Lore showdown, and the final pages are interesting.
It’s the equivalent of many superhero movies that throw nonsensical CGI battle sequences at the end of the movie. Plus, the dialogue is cliche and tiring. Still, it’s nice to finally see the Mikey v. Lore showdown, and the final pages are interesting.
November 5, 2022
I started reading this series in 2016 and I'm FINALLY finishing it up. Just have the "epilogue", which is an entire graphic novel to read (first I have to find it). I liked it a lot, cool art, pretty original plot, lots of monsters and magic. It probably would have been better if I had read it all in the same year, but the story was simple enough that I didn't get lost.
September 18, 2020
I called it... an ending that's really not an ending. Sigh.
A couple of nice twists, supplemented by unearned bits of character growth. I'm glad to have finished it - but if it wasn't free (via Hoopla) I'd have never bothered with this.
A couple of nice twists, supplemented by unearned bits of character growth. I'm glad to have finished it - but if it wasn't free (via Hoopla) I'd have never bothered with this.
October 5, 2021
Having taken a break from this series after reading the first seven volumes, I returned to finish the whole thing. Sadly, absence has not made my heart grow fonder for this. I know this series has its fans; I just wish I enjoyed this as much as they did. Alas.
December 11, 2021
I'm sorry, but that centaur-shaped witch with all the baby arms is by far (BY FAR) the coolest, radest, most incredible monster design in the entire series holy shit I want a giant poster of her in my living room.
October 6, 2020
Things ramping up, lots of splash pages and quick monologues. Can’t wait for this to wrap up and hopefully get some OHC’s.
October 17, 2020
Feels like the finale right up until the “to be continued” at the end. There’s not a whole lot left here. Hopefully the next volume’s an epilogue and not an attempt to continue on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2020
felt like they jammed a little too much into this after how well paced the rest of the series has been but it was still really great.
December 4, 2021
Jumps around quite a bit for my liking but very fun.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews