The Sword Volume 1: Fire (Sword (Image Comics))
by Joshua Luna, Jonathan Luna
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jonathan Luna, Joshua LunaArtist: Jonathan Luna
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-25
ISBN: 1582408793
Number of pages: 152
Publisher: Image Comics
Book Reviews of The Sword Volume 1: Fire (Sword (Image Comics))
Book Review: SO addictive... like all of the Lunas' work. Comics don't get much better than this.
Summary: 5 Stars
(Full disclosure: I lost my first [longer] review due to a brower crash, but I'm so durn enthusiastic about this book I cooked up a new one.)
The Luna Brothers: Visceral. Playful (often darkly so). Unapologetically violent / naturalistic / immediate. Mighty themes, visuals, words, and ideas, but NOT pretentious.
The images: adrenalin courses through the beautiful, clean art--notice the use of lighting, the character expression, the "special effects," the cinematic motion across the page. Jonathan Luna, for my money, is equally at home with the big mythic stuff and the small character moments (see The Walking Dead, the comic that most easily comes to mind when I look for a comparison, though Jonathan really has his own, unique voice).
The writing: interactions between characters are loaded with emotion (or not, when numbness, quietness, etc. is called for)--they are immediate and real. (Joshua Luna is at his best during dialog exchanges, in my opinion.) The Lunas' stories are carefully plotted and creatively paced (it's not all breakneck action, but there's plenty of that), but their books just don't seem mechanically (or heartlessly) put-together, plotwise. More below on the writing...
While I'm a sucker for beautiful art, good, meaty violence, dark playfulness, and unpretentious "big idea" writing, it's the Luna brothers' treatment of emotion that does me in--a number of (alternately painful, funny, fearful, etc.) moments from their work stick with me long after the pages are closed. I do confess to being a Luna "pusher" on friends and family--their stuff is that good.
I know I've been talking about the Lunas generally--frankly, it was hard deciding which book to write a review for. I settled on The Sword because it is probably the most immediately (and broadly?) accessible, though I'd never in a million years classify any of the Lunas' work as inaccessible. (Compare Alan Moore--whom I do enjoy, and beside whom I rank the Lunas in terms of going for the big symbolic, mythic stuff--who can be significantly less accessible for the first-time reader.) The Sword is a seemingly-classic revenge story and perhaps a "hero's call" story, but the plot is almost secondary. Reading this book is about BEING THERE--letting yourself get lost in protagonist Dara's anger and pain and relentless motion forward. While the book does treat "bigger themes," as I've been saying, it never lets you sit back and judge or ruminate from afar. It's visceral, immediate, powerful stuff, and the brothers' talents complement each other perfectly in this regard.
Any second-guessing? It's hard for me to come up with many negatives. I would say that The Sword has fewer quiet moments than did Girls (which had far more time to explore its story)--but then, The Sword is a very different artistic experiment. Really, my complaints are more along the lines of wanting this book to go on forever...but then again, I'm also eager for the brothers' next project.
One warning: you may find yourself in the midst of a belly laugh one panel after a dismemberment (the story is, after all, about a magic sword). If this notion bothers you, then you might want to take a flier. I wouldn't say the book glorifies violence at all, yet it doesn't seem to be held back by some of the typical societal hang-ups which some people need to feel comfortable and protected.
At any rate, read this book. Then read Girls and Ultra. Then read them all again. The Sword is coming to a close soon; can't wait to see what the Luna brothers do next.
Summary of The Sword Volume 1: Fire (Sword (Image Comics))
It was a day like any other for Dara Brighton, a promising young college student, until three strangers knocked on her door, looking for a unique sword, and destroyed her life! A modern day fantasy series from the creators behind Ultra and Girls!Fantasy Books
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