In every battle there are casualties … but only the truly brave can save the world.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Pat Shand
Artwork: Salvatore Cuffari
Colors: Erick Arciniega
Letters: Ghost Glyph Studios
What They Say:
Sela and her mentor Shang, along with their former enemy Belinda, have opened a school for a select group of Highborn and Falseblood teens with enhanced abilities. Their goal is to guide the teens who may one day be humanity’s only hope against evil from other realms.
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
With Bloody Bones and his allies prepared to bring an end to the world, Sela and Belinda approach their best hope to stop their common foe – the Warlord. But can this shaky alliance offer any promise of victory to the ones confronting the beast who now leads the nightmare’s charge, the Kraken? The students must face this monstrosity alone, with no one able to assist them thanks to his sanguine schemes and all of Bryn Athyn now asleep, their slumbering forms littering the town. The teens have faced such monsters before, but none so menacing or ominous, and not without the help of the faculty. It was through their unwise choices that they are now in this predicament, and as such, it must be by their own hands that they must defeat this tentacled menace. But with limited resources, what harm can they do to this atrocity, let alone be able to conquer it?
But their days at Arcane Acre must not be in vain and it is through their training that they must persevere, no matter how mighty or insurmountable the fiend. Nine against one, never have the odds been so lopsided, but this time numbers will not make a difference. For although they do have a numerical advantage, the Kraken has limbs to match its inexperienced adversaries, and behind each is the strength of many. Can the determination of the young be of any consequence in such a battle? Even with the powers of the Shadowlands and Wonderland strengthening their cause, is this enough to turn the tide in their favor? Humans can create many great things but at the same time, those same hands can also destroy those marvelous creations. Though it may be wielded by the talented, it takes an unyielding heart to forge the valor to press forward for the greater good; but even with the best of intentions, something must be sacrificed, whether it be the mind or body to deface that work, and this is no exception.
In Summary:
With only one issue left, Pat Shand gave us what we expected, and what we wanted. Although the events were anticipated, it still doesn’t make them any less painful. The teens of Arcane Acre have matured over the past twenty four issues since the school opened and now with the end coming, it still doesn’t make it any easier to see someone leave. Bloody Bones doesn’t care if his minions or allies fall in battle, but we are not that monster and it is that humanity which gives us the conviction to see the battle through, however it is that same heart which weighs us down after all is done. While we may be able to set aside our emotions to steel ourselves for what we will have to face, it still does not simplify those feelings once the dust settles and everything falls into place. Someone fell to bring about this victory, and that death will shake the others to the core, no matter what they may say. They were classmates, friends and sometimes more than that, but no matter how close they were, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Even we as readers will recognize those tremblers that this story brought and will praise Shand for making the departure one to be remembered.
The talents of Salvatore Cuffari and Erick Arciniega had their work cut out for them in this festival of madness. From the start the tale intricately begins to weave like a tapestry, the ghoulish nature of the villains basking in their vile glory, waiting for the time to unleash their newly found pet. But once the true battle begins, everything begins to unravel and Arciniega uses the colors to utmost effectiveness to portray the sober nature of the scene. Every fruitless strike, any hopeless parry, the distress ingrained into the students’ faces as they begin to understand the power of their foe, the artistry of each panel as the inevitable slowly begins to take shape, Cuffari takes advantage of the emotion, making his illustrations all the more powerful, until the fate one starts to take shape. No action is wasted and the panels interlace leading up to that exemplifying moment when the hero knows what they must do. From there the classic fight for friends begins all culminating to the tearful goodbye we knew was coming. Cuffari and Arciniega show us just enough blood to accent the wounds without making it gory but the pain and release we see will tear up even a hardened reader. A wonderful departure for a honorable fighter, with one single page being the definition of what is means to be a hero.
The conflict with Bloody Bones has claimed many victims, but this one seemed to hit the hardest. Shand was able to direct the emotion while Cuffari and Arciniega were able to materialize it into a tangible form to shake us with the passing like never before. While we know the end is only one issue away, how you not feel that this will be only the beginning … and we will enjoy the finale like nothing ever before? I for one, cannot wait!
Grade: A
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: July 6th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
