REVIEW: Blood World: Phoenix Throne #1

Intergalactic political shenanigans that would make George Lucas blush set the table for a new sci-fi epic in Blood World: Phoenix Throne #1.

Power, sex, family squabbles and a holy war kick off this story as a full-scale invasion is under way in the opening panels. Our “hero” Dominic is taking on an ally, turned foe, and what looks to be a religious cleansing turns out to be an attack to defend his besmirched honor. Think of Dominic as a Hans Solo-like rogue character that also happens to be royalty and commands a brutal army. His cousin, and Queen, Ysobet is not particularly fond of his brash actions and calls him to the carpet. Here the meat of the story and lore-building for this universe is presented. And the more they talk, the more interesting things get. Writer D.W. Howard does an excellent job of weaving the exposition into a sharp back-and-forth between two characters who know each other very well and obviously have some deep-seeded issues. The intensity and intrigue is on ten.

The art is aggressive and unique. The battle scenes do not shy away from brutal imagery. It’s a war and there is no sugarcoating here. The character designs also have a lot going on. The battle armor is gives Warhammer vibes while also being their own thing because the characters inside the armors aren’t quite what they seem. No spoilers but all of the main characters that appear in issue #1 have something strange and/or unique going on with their designs. Kudos to the art team of Tosi Awosika and Jeff Bracey for attempting something new visually in the tried-and-true action sci-fi genre.

Overall, Blood World: Phoenix Throne #1 is a welcomed new space opera. The “behind-the -scenes” of world conquering can be just as interesting and exciting as the fighting and this issue is a very good example of that. The characters are interesting and the writing is razor sharp. The intrigue and doble-crossing seem to be headed in one direction but Howard throws in a truly wickedly delicious twist that instantly hooks readers for issue #2. This could be the beginning of your next sci-fi obsession.

Writing – 4,5 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Coloring – 4 Stars

Get ready to support this project on Fund My Comic on June 10, 2024
https://www.fundmycomic.com/phoenix-throne1

Overall – 4 Stars

Written by; D.W. Howard
Art/Colors by; Tosin Awosika
Letters by; Guido Martinez
Cover by; Jeff Bracey
Published by; Raincross Press

Author Profile

Christopher R. Ford

Writer, author, and blogger. Published author of three children's books and also writes for the boy Creators For The Culture. Part-time sneaker head, full time nerd.