Nomen Omen #13 // Review
The denizens of Arcadia have taken over Manhattan. Everything is overcome with the color of sinister magics by the king of the fairies. All is not at peace as politics and power coil around the supernatural that is gripped by all-too-human passions and motivations. Becky just got her heart back. She’s going to have to fight to keep it as Nomen Omen reaches its 13th issue. Writer Marco B. Bucci’s story has lost a bit of momentum now that Becky has reached a major turning point and the Jacopo Camagni art isn’t quite given the opportunity to explore the dynamics between line and color in a world of fragmented life and magic.
It’s got the body of a man and the head of a bird. It’s white with blue shades. It’s handing Becky a cracked smartphone. It’s okay: it’s hers. It speaks only one word: “kra.” Later on, Becky’s heart is beating, and she can feel it in her chest. Elsewhere King Taranis broods over his newly acquired kingdom above Manhattan as Medea offers to heal his wounds with the right sacrifice. He’s had enough of her magic. Ruling over everything isn’t going to be easy for him. Medea isn’t going to let Taranis slow her down. She’s as powerful as he is, and she’s about to unleash very explosive magic.
Bucci’s work on Nomen Omen has been at its weakest when lost in the muddled politics of magical beings. This issue leans very heavily on the political end of the spectrum. Given that the rising action of the past few issues has plateaued in a recent climax, the thirteenth issue falters a bit as it deals with some of the consequences of recent activities. The moments of Becky’s transformation at the end of a great many issues without her heart is satisfying. Still, much of the rest of the issue feels like it’s treading in somewhat tedious territory with Taranis and Medea.
With the fusion between magic and earthbound, mundane life being complete, Camagni isn’t given the opportunity to show the stark contrast between vivid color and green highlights black and white. Camagni’s beautiful linework gets muddled in all the colors. That being said, the color DOES have its moments, and Camagni’s rendering of the scene between Becky and the birdman is strikingly beautiful. The striking contrasts that Camagni had managed in earlier issues are sorely missed, though.
There are only two issues left to go in the series after this one. While it’s easy to imagine this story continuing to wind itself through many, many years into the future, but Bucci and Camagni are working towards a climax that will doubtlessly involve a final showdown between Becky, Taranis and Medea. It doesn’t feel terribly interesting in its thirteenth issue, but Becky’s return to life with her heart intact at issue’s end is a pretty satisfying conclusion in and of itself. Forward action of the plot may have stalled a bit this issue, but it DOES pack a dramatic punch.
