Author: Stjepan Šejić
Series: Death Vigil
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: October 14th 2015
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):
Gifted? Join the Death Vigil in their ongoing war against the ever-growing power of the Primordial Enemy! Only catch is you have to die first. Become a corporeal immortal Death Knight and obtain reality-altering weaponry in the never-ending battle between good and evil.
Collects DEATH VIGIL #1-8.
*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.
I've always been intrigued with how different authors and writers interpret death and the possibility of afterlife. Šejić's take on afterlife is quite unique. The idea that for some people death is not the final ending, but really the start of an epic journey is quite intriguing. Each person receives a set of weapons that will help them fight demons and necromancers, weapons inspired by their most cherished memory. I liked that aspect of the story a lot, especially seeing how some of the characters manage to discover the full extent of their powers and those of their weapons.
As with most of the books that I read, what I liked the most was the fact that not everything is just white or just black. Not every good guy is 100% good and not every bad guy is a maniac that just wants to destroy the world. There are other reasons that make some of these characters be on the wrong side of things and, with two of the baddies I do understand what they really wanted and why they did the things they did.
The dialogue was funny at times, emotional at other times. I liked Sam the most, he was a real hero and I really enjoyed his brand of humor. Bernadette is the leader of this group and I really want to know her backstory, how she became the Grim Reaper. I did like that she didn't feel like a boss, but more like a team mate, fighting side by side with the others. Clara is the newbie and I liked that, in a way, the reader gets to experience that confusing journey into the world of the Death Vigil with her.
The artwork is simply gorgeous. The colors used are so rich and the drawings help create a wonderful story. There's an attention to detail in each panel and I enjoyed that a lot. At times the drawings felt a little bit too crowded, which is the only reason for my rating, but other than that I loved this story a lot and I really hope there's going to be more issues for this story, because I need more.