Review: Die #2

We all have those moments when we looked back at our past and experience a multitude of mixed emotions. An outfit that at one time was considered the coolest thing ever could now be used as blackmail due to how embarrassing it looks in hindsight. On a deeper level, there are those decisions we make that haunt us decades after they occur. How we can try to avoid regret with justification and avoidance of truth. How the past impacts us is a major part of what makes up KieronÂ Gilliens“s newest series Die. A series that sees a group of adults literally return to their childhood fantasy world.

In its second issue, the characters have fully returned to the fantasy realm they escaped decades earlier. Quickly they discover the person that brought them back was the same person who was left behind years earlier. The Solomon they knew is clearly gone and what is left is a twisted soul who wishes to force his former friends to play the very game they gave up on years earlier. They may be different people now, but it is who they once were that will get them through this impossible challenge. In order to return home, they must somehow convince Solomon he wants to return, and the only way to do that is to play his game.

Gillen“s utilization of first-person narration is a key factor in making much of this issue work. Instead of forcing his dialog to have a lot of unnecessary exposition he allows the narration to fill in many of the blanks. It is not just plot points that make it effective. Comments on how easily everyone falls back into their previous roles tie into the grander points like the fallacy of change as well as serve as a way to provide an understanding of all these different character“s roles–literally and figuratively. Gillen has found a way to dive deep into the minutia of the fantasy genre without getting lost in the details.

Part of that is due to the meta-context the story is existing in. You have characters who are forced to work their way through a story that was created by one of their own. Except he has the mind and writing skills of a teenager and the characters they inhabit are based on designs they made when they were kids as well. So you have characters actively mocking the very story you are reading. It could easily work against the narrative but instead ties into how the impact of nostalgia and how our priorities change as we mature.

There is some concern though as this issue“s second half saw its overall structure nearly crumble away. While the opening moments were able to balance providing context without becoming overbearing with exposition, the final third suffered from a rush finish. As the issued closed the ending felt tacked on compared to what came before. It further solidified the thematic merit, however, it moved so quickly its impact on a dramatic level was limited.Â

Stephanie Hans continues to be a bold choice as her style is inventive and has an otherworldly look that fits well for this fantasy world. There are a number of pages that are simply breathtaking to witness. Function wise there is some room for improvement. Due to a lack of establishing shots and nondescript backgrounds, there is no sense of location or place. Considering this is a story about being transplanted into a different world it is important to showcase where the story now resides. So far the world remains ill-defined On a smaller scale when the large action set pieces are occurring it is difficult to get a sense of the scene. Aesthetically those moments are gorgeous and full of life. Some fine-tuning is just needed on a storytelling front.

Overall Thoughts:

Die shows there is still life in the fantasy genre by crafting a story that somehow both deconstructs and reconstructs story tropes at the same time. This issue starts strong than it finishes but offers plenty of potential to be excited about.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist:Â Stephanie Hans
Letterer: Clayton Clowes
Designer: Rian Hughes
Editor: Chrissy Williams

Author Profile

Daniel Clark

A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.