Tweet
Released by: Image Comics
Released on: June 25, 2014
Anshargal, Ukinnu, and Kingu and follow Gelal into the mountains, to his private hunting ground, to prove themselves and hopefully get a vial of his special blood that will save their own people.
[SPOILERS]
Back in home, the scheming Atlantean councilman Duggae is getting impatient. But the calm, cool, deadly Zikia tells him to wait, using the story of wielding the barbed sword weapon of their people to do so. It's a weapon that, legend has it, is incredibly difficult to use, relying as it does on the confidence of the one wielding it. If the one wielding it is not strong enough, the weapon will react with offense and turn on them; but if they're strong enough then it's pretty much unstoppable.
Meanwhile, the trio follows Gelal into the treacherous mountains. Kingu was able to get his severed hand refitted with a pickaxe, making the journey easier for him but not easy by any means for he and Ukinnu. Anshargal, though, is keeping up with Gelal, much to that one's surprise. They soon reach the summit and spy a herd of wooly mammoths. Gelal targets the mother of the group who's protecting her children. It's appropriately poetic enough for him to slake his killing mood…
They all work together to finally bring the great beast down, nearly killing Gelal in the process. But it's Kingu that delivers the final, killing blow. The other water-dwellers don't see much point in it all but Anshargal tells them to respect the creature. Gelal asks for the beast's heart, which he eats and then serves up raw to the rest of the party, relating the power of the creature to their own mastery of it all. He then says that he will give them the sample of his blood they've fought so hard to obtain. As they do this, Gelal asks Anshargal if he's going to be able to hunt down all his own monsters before they turn on him instead...
Back home, the Atlantean usurpers hold their own against the surprise attack. But it's Zikia who boldly confronts them, telling him that this is not their home and there's no way they'll relinquish control back to Atlantis. Their leader, though, knocks her aside as if she's nothing, daring anyone else to do the same. Just then, they receive the report that Anshargal's team is returning and so they prepare to “welcome†them back. However, a lone missile totally obliterates the returning vessel, leaving them raging about needing a body and wanting to know who did this…
Steve Orlando moves everything desperately forward here with complete mastery. The stakes keep getting raised with seemingly every scene, really involving the reader in the whole revolution and its costs. Artyom Trakhanov's artwork continues to dazzle, too, letting the reader truly lose themselves in this other world - but without losing focus or attention to detail with any of the characters, too.
