Blood & Thunder #11 // Review
Akeldama is pretty upset. She’s in the presence of the most dangerous creature alive. You wouldn't know it just to look at him, though. The creature in question actually looks pretty cuddly. In a gruff, but lovable sort of way. Akeldama is about to get a lesson in the presence of infamy in Blood & Thunder #11. Writer Benito Cereno and artist E.J. Su continue their sci-fi epic with colorist Msassyk. Some of the story seems simplistic and heavy-handed. However, it's done in a way that has a firm rooting in a very deep emotional reality that feels quite refreshing.
Akeldama thinks that the killer in question is looking for a weapon to get revenge on the people who brought him to justice. That would be perfectly understandable under the circumstances. However, that's not the case. Not for him. What he was seeking was actually something called the compass rose. It's not something that would be found on any map, though. It's actually a very rare flower that allows anyone to teleport anywhere. He doesn't want to get revenge on the people of earth. He just wants to get as far away from them as possible. Simple misunderstanding. That doesn't mean that Akeldama is completely out of danger, though. She still has to answer to her superiors about the matter....
As simplistic as aspects of the story are, it's interesting to know that Cereno it is exploring some of the nature of simplicity within the confines of the story. There's a story within a story, which is something of a favor in involving different parts of a human body. Akeldama doesn't necessarily understand why she's being told the story or its significance. However, it's simplicity does hide something very complex. A very complicated moral lesson that seems to echo quite a lot of of what Cereno exploring in the main story. It's kind of an interesting structure for a script.
Su’s art it seems to lack a certain amount of subtlety or complexity on a dramatic level. Their drama does actually hit the page in a way that is very compelling, though. It's fascinating stuff that actually articulates quite well with the script as written. And it's not like Su’s work isn't remarkably well articulated there is an immersive sense of reality about it. I'm parasite very distinct feel to the visuals that are brought to the page and the world of Akeldama.
Some of the finer principle of the satire that Cereno had been working with don't seem all that present in this particular issue. However, it does strike some major chords. It has the distinction of being a major returning point for the series as well. And so it will be interesting to see where the series moves from here. Akeldama it is moving further and further away from the society in which she lives. And as she moves further and further away from it, she is beginning to understand herself more and more. It's been an interesting journey.
