Every time the rebels win an inch of ground, they lose a score of soldiers. Can they win back the Wolf’s Maw before they run out of willing soldiers?
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Mitsuhisa Kuji
Translation/Adaptation: Ko Ransom
What They Say
With the flanks of the Wolf’s Maw falling one-by-one, now the ominous fortress itself is in the crosshairs of a dual-threat of Canton allies. Lead by new forms of weapon’s technology, canton rebels are willing to risk countless lives for one last chance at freedom. And with Walter Tell literally climbing the walls of the Wolfsmund, it seems inevitable that the barrier station will fall.
But before that happens, Wolfsram will unleash more than a few more devious tricks from his already deep arsenal.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
To change pace from time to time, the author throws in a side-story about the past of either Wolfsmund or one of the story’s characters. This volume kicks off with a story about the original construction of the road through the pass that is guarded by the Wolfsmund. It is an interesting, yet foreboding story about the pass being guarded by a demon that was tricked by a young girl. The demon was so enraged that he swore the pass would always be a graveyard for mankind. Given the Bailiff of Wolfsmund, I would say that demon kept his word.
With the assault on Wolfsmund finally commencing, the rebels have their people ready to go, and all the expatriates on the Italian side of the border have posted up to fight the opposite side of the fortress. The battle starts out well for the rebels. They are able to use Greek Fire to burn down the outposts on both sides of the fortress. I was actually surprised to see it work considering how nothing ever goes well for the rebels, albeit, my cheering for the rebel success was short-lived. Wolfsmund itself is protected by copper plated roof tiles that put out Greek Fire.
This major setback for the rebels is more of what I have grown to expect from Kuji. However, all is not lost and the rebels actually gain some good fortune as the man that would come to save Wolfsmund and put down the rebellion, instead chose to back up his brother and ruler, Duke Friedrich in another war to the north. It was a good thing for the Duke that his younger brother, Leopold, came to his rescue as he had been surrounded and was knocking on death’s door. This also proves good luck for the rebels as it gives them a few more days to attack Wolfsmund without Leopold’s army plowing through their ranks.
Nevertheless, Wolfsmund’s Bailiff is an incredibly intelligent man. He has an amazing array of defenses and traps in store for the rebels. This aspect of the story is really where Kuji’s storytelling shines. It is great fun to see all the medieval war devices, torture machines, and castle architecture. I really enjoy this aspect of this series, and the era was a unique one for armor before it’s use died out in Europe.
In Summary
As much as I hate seeing the Bailiff’s smug face when he wins and tortures a rebel to death, I know there is a payoff for the reader somewhere down the road. This volume of Wolfsmund’s gives the reader a glimpse of a chink in the Bailiff’s armor. With the rebels scoring small successes in their siege of Wolfsmund, the Bailiff is beginning to sweat. He knows that his lord will come to the rescue of Wolfsmund, but it is beginning to take longer than he expected. With each passing day, the rebels chip away at Wolfsmund’s defenses a little more. Sure, the Bailiff has lost far fewer soldiers than the rebels, but the Bailiff also has far fewer men to begin with. This is a great volume and I can’t wait to see the next one when the rebels attempt to break down the final wall and enter the Wolf’s Maw!
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: Vertical, Inc.
Release Date: April 15th, 2014
MSRP: $12.95