Story by Brian Pulido & Mike Wolfer
Art by Gabriel Andrade
After learning of New Abreffaw’s supposed alliance with the Death Queen, Hope throws away any idea of recruiting the independent city state to her cause and decides to burn it all to the ground. Before she can act, the general Behemoth and his monstrous legions attack the city, forewarned of Hope’s presence as well as that of the rebel leader Wargoth.
In truth, I was pleasantly surprised by the latest issue of Lady Death. Upon first glance, it could easily be written off as thinly veiled smut, but in spite of the abundance of well-endowed and scantily clad women, this fantasy tale carries an unexpected weight and charm along with it. While Wolfer’s scripting isn’t anything earth shattering, this latest issue is entertaining and culminates in real consequences for the lead characters.
While there is one gratuitous scene toward the beginning (two naked women somehow speaking to each other while kissing is a magical ability I was not heretofore familiar with), the remainder of the issue consists of a well-handled fantasy battle sequence replete with monstrous generals, giant fire-spewing spiders, and hordes of undead. The story is well-paced and entertaining, if mildly shallow.
The real draw here is Gabriel Andrade’s frenetic artwork. While his women are suitably sexy and his battles requisitely epic, he truly excels in the expressions and emotions of his characters, especially in a particularly wrenching moment of loss for one character late in the book. His posing and detail is excellent throughout, lending mass and movement to all of his embattled players.
While I’ve never been a fan of Lady Death, I’m intrigued by this issue. Although it was filled with primarily action, I’m impressed enough – especially by Andrade’s artwork – to seek out more.
