All conflicts have a beginning … and each must prepare for the inevitable.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Joe Brusha
Artwork: Leo Rodrigues
Colors: Jorge Cortes
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
Merlin is ready to usher in a new Golden Age of Camelot with his new Knights of the Round Table and his deadly assassin Zodiac. The War of Camelot continues!
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
With the dire information which they have gathered from Camelot, Skye and Peyton must present their findings to the Council of the Five Realms, with Shang leading the way. As Nissa and the assembled members listen in earnest to this depressing news, they soon realize it is only a matter of time until Merlin will secure the final piece of the Holy Grail, and thus allow him to begin his assault upon the other lands. With no time to waste, this austere group dismisses these weary travellers to gather forces to defend Earth with sincere regrets they cannot allow the Realm Knights to participate, for with their forces spread thin they will barely have enough protectors to guard the other realms let alone the main battlefield. But as they leave in disappointment, the fairy tries to console her friend by stating he cannot blame himself for the deaths of the two under his charge, and while he knows this is true, the responsibility still weighs heavy on his mind, even as they return to Arcane Acre to prepare for the coming conflict.
Even as Earth’s protectors prepared, the upstarts from Camelot have their own arrangements to conduct before commencing their attack against the Order, with Merlin securing loyalty of his most faithful servant Morgan with a small token from the past. And while this act may have exhausted him, this is but a miniscule step toward a larger goal against his brother and one which he must win if he is to succeed. Yet the Guardian of the Nexus will not stand idly by as these siblings squabble over one kingdom, as she is left to defend Earth by herself – and must gather allies herself, with friends and acquaintances left hold the line against this demented wizard and his Knights of the Round Table. However not knowing what the other side is poised to do for success … she must be ready for anything.
In Summary:
While the grandeur of this story arc is ambitious, it seems as the expanse envelopes more of the Grimm Universe, there are certain aspects within its history which are being conveniently forgotten, namely the exploits within The Musketeers. Although it is understandable to flesh out shaky details which were not made clear before, writer Joe Brusha appears to be reworking elements established in the aforementioned title to suit this new plot, namely events which did not please Merlin and his grand scheme for ultimate power. A majority of that series revolved in securing the temporal bracelet Chariot since he did not have the skill to manipulate time, and yet now when this wizard is weaker after his loss he suddenly is able to attempt such a feat of magic? Although this conflux for a battle between Camelot and the Order of Tarot is interesting and if Brusha kept the narrative confined to such base material readers would have been satisfied, however a need to keep interjecting new facts to contradict the aforementioned series makes us question the true purpose of the plot, and if this is a roundabout way to rewrite history yet again?
As we delve deeper into Merlin’s wild mechaniations and desperation from the Council of the Five Realms and Skye to stop him, you cannot deny the engrossing illustrations of Leo Rodrigues captures your imagination, only magnified by an awe inspiring injection of tension due to colors by Jorge Cortes. The opening scene has your attention with a carefully choreographed transition between panels, skillfully shaping the reader’s focus along with the narrative, until we approach the open court, only to be stunned by the epic feel of the setting, allowing for the images to wonderfully direct the sense of scale, and using the expression upon the casts’ faces to reflect the magnificence of the place. And while the palette may seem subdued compared to previous issues, the overall tone helps to muffle any hope due to the grim circumstances, which only gets darker as the story progresses. This smothering tonal impact draws us into the issue ever further, with images which are both haunting and beautiful due to the forceful definition of Rodrigues’ line strength, making for magnificent pages of brutal reality leading to the outcome of war. You cannot deny this issue is memorable due to these brilliant pages which tell the story marvelously with such pronounced synergy, allowing for the reader to become settled in for what is to come.
Hopefully now that we have arrived at the turning point for the series, we will see no more need to change facts in order to shape the denouement for the final act, and yet it would seem to be out of place if we rule them out. The dire straits of the showdown between Camelot and the Order of Tarot has been in the making for over two years, ever since the defeat of Malec and the Horde and now we finally get to see the outcome. And with numerous players yet to make their appearance we still have many more moments of intrigue to look forward to, but for now we can only wait to see what is to come. But which side will triumph in the end or will Merlin have some other trick up his sleeve to tilt the scale toward chaos … or will there be another twist yet to be seen?
Grade: A
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: December 05, 2018
MSRP: $3.99