Exploring The Known World with Mark Smylie

It's hard to believe that it's been over a decade since Mark Smylie gave us the epic military fantasy, Artesia, and it's been that long since Mark and I met at a little Detroit convention. We fell out of touch over the years, but thanks to a chance encounter on Goodreads, I learned about The Barrow  and have happily jumped back into the Known World.

Both Mogsy and I have reviewed The Barrow here and here, and I have reviewed Artesia here. I recently had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Mark about his work and have the pleasure of sharing his thoughts with you!

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It's interesting to discover the reality behind Mark's stories. Artesia was inspired by the Balkan Wars, a religious war heavily rooted in ethnic schisms and hatred. The Barrow was conceived as a response to America's invasion of Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction. "I can’t imagine this is too controversial a statement but I think the Iraq war has really contributed to a sense of U.S. decline," explains Mark, pointing out that despite battlefield successes, the United States fell short of its theoretical goals and is still dealing with the consequences. “The parallel to a weapon of mass destruction in a fantasy setting is, in effect, a magical sword, and so that became the subject of the characters’ quest.” As the adventurers hunt for the ultimate treasure hidden within the barrow, Mark sees his story as less of an anti-heroic view than as a look at the unintended consequences of failure.

Stjepan Black-Heart's adventure actually began as a screenplay when a director friend approached Mark with the concept of a low-budget prequel following the success of his graphic novel series, Artesia. Artesia would have been a bit too daunting and costly a project to tackle first, but her brother, Stjepan, who appeared in the graphic novels, had his own story to tell. The screenplay plans didn't pan out, but when Pyr's Editorial Director, Lou Anders, discovered Artesia, wheels began to turn.

Mark had originally intended Artesia to be a novel, but as a very visual person, he got caught up in the descriptions, making it difficult for him to "parse it all into a readable format. I was too caught up with an image in my head I was trying to describe. So I switched to trying the project as a comic instead." Writing for a graphic novel means "thinking within the boundaries of pages and panels," says Mark. The writer must think visually and consider the "plannable moments, beats and reveals" to keep the reader turning the page. With Artesia, Mark had the advantage of also being the artist, meaning he could easily translate his thoughts into images, though the process was extremely time-consuming. “Doing art for comics takes much more time than writing for comics. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that.”

While a screenplay has similar elements to comic book writing, pitching a novel to Pyr was a whole different story. "Can I do this?" was the thought that kept running through Mark's head. He's not quite sure if it was a case of experience, maturity and the overall passage of time, but "sitting down to turn the screenplay into a novel worked more easily this time," and, over four days, he put together what would become the riveting opening sequence of The Barrow.

Obviously, Lou Anders was impressed enough to green light the project, and now a year and a half later, not only do we have The Barrow, but Mark also has its sequels, Black-Heart and Bright Sword in the works, as well as plans for the long-awaited conclusion to Artesia's story.

Aside from the prologue, the new format allowed Mark to add many more elements to the story, including the journey sequence where he could really show off the Known World and play around with fantasy conventions.

One of the most controversial ways Mark breaks the fantasy mould is with the level of sexuality involved in The Barrow—something that reviewers are fairly polarized on. While it's not uncommon for sexuality to be a part of some fantasy series, it's a topic that is often only brushed over. The sexuality (NSFW) in Artesia is one of the many impressive aspects of the story and the character herself. Mark describes the graphic novels as potentially a more "sex-positive" experience, where Artesia and those around her have a healthy—if hedonistic—view of sex and accept it as a source of pleasure, not perversion. “I’ve sometimes described Artesia as kind of a female Conan, so she’s this woman filled with larger-than-life ambitions and desires, and she’s not afraid to act on them.”

The Barrow on the other hand focuses on the perversion, taking place within a patriarchal, feudal environment where women are treated as little more than property and the goddess of pleasure, Dieva, is subverted by Ligrid, the goddess of perversion and one of the rulers of Hell. While the level of debauchery present within the story is quite extreme, the concept of female degradation and the notion that sex is something dirty remains ingrained within our own society now. It leaves us, as a culture, rather sexually immature and often unable to handle the concept, even when presented in a less explicit manner than in The Barrow.

Like the opening sequence, which features frightening imagery of cult violence and gory deaths, the sexual acts depicted are in keeping with the underlying horror of the story as a whole. The scenes are meant to make the reader uncomfortable. Mark admits that perhaps some scenes did that too well, but he doesn't regret their inclusion. “I feel pretty strongly that too often as writers or as artists we let the narrative get away with allusions; that we cut away before we show something really terrible, only vaguely referencing some fate that a character is facing and thereby removing the full impact and understanding of what a character is enduring. I think it’s important for both the reader and writer to, in effect, bear witness, even though it makes us uncomfortable to do so.” Within the genre of speculative fiction, he's certainly not the first author brave enough to take on sexuality in all its forms. Authors like Octavia E. Butler, Jacqueline Carey and George R. R. Martin come to mind, where the more violent and deviant (sexual) acts are generally attributed to the villains. “My hope was that readers would consider The Barrow's controversial scenes as crucial clues that reveal where the true villainy in the story lies. I tried not to simply announce who the villains were, but to describe their actions and just as importantly their mindsets so that readers could start to make those kinds of moral judgments for themselves.” 

This isn't a book where the good and the evil are strictly defined, and, as opposed to J.R.R. Tolkien's world, for example, the evil is not creatures set outside of society and humanity. “I think evil arises from intent and desire and how they manifest as actions. There’s very little in the book that doesn’t have some purpose, something it’s meant to reveal about the characters and their place in the narrative.” Mark reminds us of Harvald's words at the beginning: "Things are never what they seem."

Mark's fantasy world is "gritty and grounded," but another element that really stands out is the "real, functioning magic and the presence of the divine." Artesia and The Barrow are part of a "divine-filled universe," explains Mark, and the characters genuinely believe in the many gods. Even the skeptical humans accept the existence of the deities, even if they choose not to put faith in the gods' actions. Alchemy, witchcraft and astrology research have all gone into the creation of this universe, resulting in a heavily symbolic structure. While the wealth of information may be daunting for some, Mark's lore is deep and rich and well worth the read.

So what's next for Artesia and Stjepan? Mark expects Black-Heart to reach bookshelves in 2015. It picks up where The Barrow left off, following the survivors. Erim and Stjepan will join the Grand Duke's Summer Campaign as he deals with the rebel Earl of Orliac. Artesia, who only appeared briefly in dream sequences in The Barrow, will be formerly introduced. The siblings' stories will intertwine in Bright Sword, allowing readers to see all of these events from the different perspectives of Mark's rich and intriguing characters.

While it's not necessary to read Artesia to appreciate and understand the events of The Barrow, with all the incredible stories Mark has planned, now is definitely a good time to do a little catching up!

Mark Smylie has more to say, so be sure to check out Review Barn's Q&A. You can also take a look at The Barrow's cover art process in a very special Cover Lover, and keep up with news at the Sword and Barrow.

Book Review: The Barrow by Mark Smylie

The Barrow by Mark Smylie

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Related to: Artesia

Publisher: Pyr

Publication Date: March 2014

Author Info: www.swordandbarrow.com

Wendy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars -- a dark and unique gem within the fantasy genre. 

A treasure hunting expedition goes horribly wrong when Stjepan Black-Heart steals from the Nameless cults. Violence and horror befalls the group in one of the most thrilling prologues I've ever read. The survivors escape with an even bigger prize than they had ever expected: a map to the Barrow, wherein lies a priceless sword. The journey to the barrow is dangerous and the barrow itself is more so, but Black-Heart and his people are willing—only, the pesky map gets cursed and is lost in the process of trying to decipher it. But when it reappears in the most unexpected of places, things really start to get dark and crazy as the anti-heroes embark on their deadly adventure.

First of all, I love the Black-Heart. Well, I love all the characters, mainly because none of them are particularly likable and none of them are your typical fantasy heroes or even your typical fantasy anti-heroes. Let's just say that I will be inviting none of them over for dinner. Anyway, Black-Heart I am fond of because at first, he is introduced as the dark, emotionless badass that rarely cracks a smile, but soon enough, you learn that he is actually the well-educated royal cartographer who is known well by those above and below the law. I love that the story remains entirely centred on Black-Heart and this map, even as more and more fascinating tidbits are revealed about him.

Fans of Smylie’s Artesia might be disappointed that she does not make an appearance beyond fleeting images in dreams and memories. This is the Black-Heart’s story and Smylie tells it well, without having to rely on Stejpan's sister, and expanding on the world he's already built in the stunning Artesia graphic novels.

As mentioned, The Barrow is an adventure story, complete with a fellowship in search of treasure. But Smylie makes it clear that these people are not in the least bit interested in saving the world or being heroes. They are in this for the treasure and some of them just might stab a man in the back to get it.

The Barrow does suffer from an over indulgence of tell, rather than show and often feels like a historical tour of the Known Worlds as Black-Heart and his crew make their way toward their goal. While I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and have always loved Smylie’s world, having so much within the book itself can be overwhelming. However, being a fan of Artesia, I did enjoy the mentions of deities and magical events that I was already familiar with. Smylie’s mythology is immense, with rich stories that go well beyond myth, since magic is very real and does play a significant role in The Barrow.

Technically speaking, the long sentences and paragraphs are problematic, as well as the point of view changes that occur within each chapter. However, I am very impressed with Smylie’s transition from graphic novels, where images tell most of the story, to novel format where words have to paint those pictures. I think, with lessons learned from this book and background lore already given, Smylie will be able to tighten up the writing to focus more closely on the plot.

As others have already pointed out, this book does contain a lot of sexually explicit content. Personally speaking, I’m a big girl and in my maturity, I’ve grown more comfortable with dealing with sexuality in its many forms. As a society, we have a long way to go when it comes to sexual maturity and moving beyond the oppressive Victorian sensibilities that plague us. Anyway, The Barrow does contain a lot of sex, especially within the first hundred plus pages or so, and some of it is quite perverse. One might argue that it comes off as mere titillation and I would agree that perhaps it goes on too long—but no more so than the violence or any other aspect of the story that Smylie spells out in detail as he weaves us into his world. I consider it important to the lore and, considering Smylie’s vast mythology, am not really surprised by it as such debauchery is not unheard of within the actual mythologies of the real world. Shall we take a walk through one of my favourites, Greco-Roman mythology, and see how often rape (sometimes in animal form) is attributed to Zeus? And consider, in turn, the debauchery common to the Romans in their time.

Now, all that said, I was ultimately disappointed that the female characters were most often and unsurprisingly the victims of these acts and the only woman who comes out of the story reasonably unscathed, sexually, is Erim, who is disguised as a man.

I was quite fond of Erim though. Another intriguing and completely atypical character in a book that is a dark and unique gem within the fantasy genre.

Winners for The Barrow Giveaway

Our giveaway for The Barrow by Mark Smylie last week drew an impressive number of entries, and random.org has drawn our two winners:

Jeremy F.

John S.

Congratulations! Winners have been notified by email and information has been sent to the publisher. Your copies of The Barrow should be on their way to you soon, courtesy of the amazing folks at Pyr Books.

Thank you to everyone for entering the giveaway. If you didn't win this time, don't despair! Our friends at the Review Barn are also running a giveaway for the book and I encourage you to enter there too if you haven't already. And as always, be sure to keep checking in on The BiblioSanctum for more reviews and future giveaways!

Book Review and INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY: The Barrow by Mark Smylie

***Our GIVEAWAY for THE BARROW is now over. Thanks for all who entered!***

The Barrow by Mark Smylie

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1

Publisher: Pyr (March 4, 2014)

Author Information: Website

Mogsy's Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Before we begin, I feel I should make it known that this book is not for the faint of heart. If you know you'll feel uncomfortable with things like brutal violence, ear-bendingly foul language, and extremely graphic sex, then you may wish to reconsider having a go at this ... especially when it comes to that last one. In general, I am not the kind to be bothered by lewd and explicit acts in books, and yet there were still certainly no shortages of eyebrow raises from me with this one! Anyway, it was enough that I feel I should say something. Fair warning!

And now with that out of the way, let's get down to the reasons why this book totally rocks. If you're the kind of person who likes the combination of a good adventure story with the dark and gritty aspects of fantasy (of course, keeping in mind the caveats mentioned above) then you'll love The Barrow! Incidentally, this is exactly the kind of mix I enjoy. The fact that it was even darker than I expected was a nice surprise, though I don't know if I would call it full-out grimdark. In an interview with The BiblioSanctum, Mark Smylie described the book as more of an "archetypal Dungeons & Dragons adventure as run through the filter of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" ... and well, yes, actually I suppose that description would do nicely!

Furthermore, the book also takes place in the world of Mark Smylie's Artesia graphic novels. I won't deny that an emotional attachment to the setting was a factor for me, but if you are not familiar with the comics, do not fret! This is a brand new self-contained story, no previous knowledge of the world or characters required -- which is actually great for me too, since I'd only read the first volume and it was quite a while ago. However, you can still tell that writing a story within a setting that has already been established works well in the novel's favor; the world-building is phenomenally robust and very deep, with many layers to the descriptions of the people and places.

As the reader, I felt like I was transported right there -- and that is both a wonderful and terrifying experience, considering the type of world we're thrown into, one filled with dark magics, shady politics, and disreputable characters. Scoundrels and perverts lurk at every corner, and if you're really unlucky, you might even run afoul of demonic horrors and evil gods. The main plot is actually quite simple, deceptively so perhaps; on a routine tomb-robbing operation, Stjepan Black-Heart and his crew stumble upon an ancient map which details the final resting place of a long-dead wizard, who was said to have been buried with a priceless legendary sword.

Here's where the adventure narrative comes in. To find the sword, our protagonists must first gather their allies and go forth to locate this tomb. Of course, epic quests are never so easy or straightforward. But even when a curse placed on the map kills one of the essential members of the crew and ends up transcribing itself onto the skin of a young noblewoman, you think that would stop the Black-Heart? Nope! Whether it's wealth, fame, freedom, or absolution, everyone on this journey has a reason to find this fabled Barrow, which makes this story a riveting one filled with secrets and unexpected twists.

Among these colorful personalities, some of the characters are so disturbing it will make you sick to your stomach, while others are so crazy it will make you laugh; but there's definitely no accusing any of them for being boring. Out of everyone, I think I like Erim the best. A young woman masquerading as a man, Erim is Stjepan's protege, and despite her skill with the blade, in many ways she is as sheltered as her mentor is well-traveled. It's ironic that she doesn't find herself to be very interesting, because she was my favorite with her quiet introspection and fierce loyalty. That pretty much also makes her the most honorable of the lot; we're talking about some rather grim and nasty characters here, after all.

This is a book that pulls you in immediately, starting with an explosive intro that sets the tone and mood of the story quite nicely. It also contains possibly one of the most heart-pounding prologues that has ever graced the pages of a fantasy novel, and my head is still reeling from the events at the end of that chapter. However, the pacing of the novel is a bit uneven, which is probably the only quibble I have about this book. After the introduction comes a middle that slows down considerably as the characters travel towards their destination. There are frequent stops along the way, but the good news is that something interesting happens at every one of them. These encounters often added to the depth of the lore and setting, giving me more of a sense of the world's vastness. 

But while it took me several days to read the first three-quarters of this book, I think I devoured the last 150 or so pages in one exhilaratingly intense sitting. Everything that happens after they find the Barrow is pure insanity. Also, I just love twists and surprises! It's a climax and conclusion that goes beyond just being an ending, because more importantly it reveals how all the themes and undercurrents of the novel come together. It speaks much about Mark Smylie's skills as a storyteller. He marks his transition to full-length novels with this incredible debut, and I'm glad to hear we will be seeing more from him following The Barrow.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pyr Books!

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THE BARROW GIVEAWAY

And now here's what you all have been waiting for! Thanks to the kind folks at Pyr, we have two print copies of The Barrow up for grabs, and entering our giveaway is easy peasy! There are no geographic restrictions. That's right, international entries welcome! All you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line "THE BARROW" by 11:59pm Eastern time on Monday, February 24th, 2014.

Only one entry per household, please! Two winners will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. So what are you waiting for? Enter to win a copy of this amazing book! Good luck!

COVER LOVER: Behind the Scenes with The Barrow

Cover Lover is a feature originally created by our friend and fellow book blogger, Jaedia at Once Upon A Time. Usually, we chat about covers that strike our fancy, of which The Barrow's cover most definitely is one, but Eisner award nominated Author and Artist Mark Smylie, Pyr®'s award-winning Editorial and Art Director Lou Anders and the incredible scifi/fantasy cover Illustrator Gene Mollica have graciously helped me take this feature one giant step further by offering us some insight on the cover design process.

Some covers are more symbolic. Some covers focus on a particular aspect of or event within the story. Some, like this one, seem to directly reflect the book’s description of an epic, swash-buckling adventure. What factors go into selecting a particular image? How closely should the image reflect the actual story or particular elements of the story?  

Lou Anders: The most important job for a book cover is that it connects the right book with the right reader. I’ve likened book covers in the past to the patterns and colors of different flowering plants, signalling to the appropriate insects “This is the flower you want; stay away from that one over there. Try this!” Book covers have about thirty seconds or less to catch the casual bookstore browser’s eye, and if they can’t do that, then it doesn’t matter how attractive they are. In fact, before the book ever reaches the shelf, its first (and arguably most important) audience is the book buyer who determines how many copies to buy for his/her store. At Barnes & Noble, that’s one individual, who buys for all of science fiction and fantasy nationally.  I think it is wonderful when a book cover depicts its contents accurately and in line with its author’s intent, and we always strive for this, but an accurate representation of the contents is not as important as an accurate presentation of the type of experience the book promises. The most important consideration is that the book cover accurately indicates the promise of the book. That’s it right there. The book cover is a promise, and we need to keep that promise.  In this particularly case, a lot of directions were tried and discarded, because, although they were wonderful pieces of art in their own right, they promised a different experience from the one Mark’s story provided.

Behind the scenes

Gene Mollica: To be honest, the decision as to what kind of image is best for a certain book usually happens before it gets to me, the artist - it's made by the editors, art directors, and publishers based on what they think is most powerful about the book, the market they're going after, and hopefully some input from the author. Then, they call me with a description, and I concept and create the image - the model, the clothes, the pose, the setting, and the mood. There are all kinds of covers in science fiction/fantasy - I tend to like the ones that are more photographic or photo-real appearing, and dramatically lit. For The Barrow, I had the opportunity to work very closely with both the editor and the author, which doesn't always happen - Mark actually lives nearby so he came to my office and I showed him my ideas, some models, and the costume design before we did the shoot. I really wanted to bring the gritty tone and the characters to life and I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Mark Smylie:  There’s obviously a huge range in terms of sf/fantasy covers, though I think the range in fantasy tends to be a bit more narrow.  If it works, The Barrow is a novel about some pretty grim and gritty characters doing some very dangerous and dirty work; I won’t go so far as to call it grimdark, I wasn’t even aware of that term until recently, but if it winds up with that label I don’t think I’d object too hard.  It’s kind of like an archetypal Dungeons & Dragons adventure as run through the filter of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: a predominantly street-level view of the world, loaded with (casual) violence and tension and hopefully some unexpected twists.  There are all sorts of other themes and layers that run through the book – well, there are if I was successful as a writer, that is – such as the fate of women in a medieval-style patriarchal culture, the question of who you trust and why, how you decide what you’re loyal to, how history and lineage are bound up in a present reality.  I think when Lou and I were initially discussing cover ideas we had discussed a fairly wide range of cover concepts, with some of them hitting more on some of those additional themes and elements rather than focusing on the main vibe of the book.  But in the end Lou thought it would be best to really emphasize that gritty quest-narrative that drives the book, and I think the result is spot-on.

How much editorial input is there prior to and during the design process? Does an editor see the design before it is complete? Does the editor have input on what it should look like?

Lou Anders: In this case, I am both Editorial Director and Art Director of Pyr, so yes. This editor commissions the artist, communicates the art brief, views the roughs and art directs the entire process. I also oversea the work of our three very talented in-house designers (Jacqueline Nasso Cooke, Nicole Sommer-Lecht, and Grace M. Conti-Zilsberger).

Gene, what information do you get to work with in order to create a cover? Do you read the story itself, or are you just provided an overview? 

Gene Mollica:  I was really fortunate with this project because I got a lot more than just the usual brief overview; I had the pleasure of working with two very visual people who like to be hands on. Lou knew very well what he needed and what visual directions to take. Mark is a fabulous artist and provided very clear illustrations and descriptions of each of the characters.
Together we made a great team, as we continued to nail down and refine the concept. We reviewed models / talent for the photography; once we picked the talent, we then discussed wardrobe carefully so that I could start designing the costumes (all of the wardrobes for the characters were custom made by my fabulous costumer).

It got really fun when we realized that both Mark and I lived just minutes from each other – that called for a face to face throw down of who has the best weapons in their arsenal. Mark won, incredibly convenient that he’s also a collector of fine rare medieval weapons. So like two big kids we got into the costumes, weapons, baldric, belts, knives and swords – work life doesn’t get better than this.

So this assignment was a hell of lot of fun, rarely do you get this much direct insight from an editor and the author. Together, hopefully we achieved a great cover.

Mark Smylie:  I might take issue with Gene saying I won the arsenal contest.  Gene’s got a great collection of weapons and props, certainly far more pieces than I do, and I even had a bit of a geek moment when I spotted the sword he used for the cover of Joe Abercrombie’s Best Served Cold (which I believe wound up being used as Erim’s sword on the cover, though you don’t really get a look at the hilt; there are other pictures from the studio shoot where you can see that it’s the same sword).

As an artist yourself, Mark, did you consider doing the cover? Why or why not? How much input did you have on the process? How do you feel about the end result?

Mark Smylie:  Lou actually asked me early on if I wanted to do the cover; I think he assumed the answer would be yes.  But I declined.  My art style uses a mix of watercolor, colored pencil, and ink line, and I think it works well in comics or in roleplaying game illustrations but maybe less so in the realm of sf/fantasy book covers, which tend to be either painterly, photorealistic, or very design-oriented.

Mark Smylie's Artesia

Since I come out of comics and graphic novels as a writer/creator/illustrator, I wanted there to be a clear message to the reader: this is a fantasy novel.  It’s not a graphic novel in disguise, or somehow translated into a prose work (well, okay, technically it was a screenplay first; but it was never intended to be a comic).  So I thought it was important to have someone do the cover who could give it that feeling of “hey, look, it’s an actual fantasy novel.”  Lou and I kicked some ideas around – I think the only stipulation I asked was that it couldn’t be someone that I already knew – and at one point he suggested Gene.  I had seen a number of Gene’s covers (such as the cover he did for Best Served Cold, and for Brian McClennan’s Promise of Blood and the Powder Mage series) and really loved the idea of a sharp, photorealistic style to it.  I was able to provide some details and sketches and sample photos as a kind of look-book for the characters and their equipment, and then as Gene mentioned since it turned out we lived not too far from each other I was able to pop over to his studio and take a look at some of the available weapons and costume choices.  With the comic I’ve always tried to inject realism into the armor and weaponry and costuming, and Gene and his costumer have a great sense of how to mix fantasy and historical elements in the look of the character’s clothes.  It was fun to be asked to be involved in the process and I really loved Gene’s end result (so much so that I asked Gene to do individual character portraits that I am using on the book’s website, at www.swordandbarrow.com).

Comic Review Bites

Artesia by Mark S. Smylie

Artesia is an epic, Eisner-award nominated masterpiece of story and art. The world, its people and its pantheon are so richly detailed, but as the title says, this story is about Artesia. What an incredible character she is, embodying all aspects of the female, from priestess to warrior to daughter to sister to concubine and eventually, reluctantly, queen. As both concubine, priestess and captain to the king, Artesia begins the story obviously wielding a lot of power and influence. Even the gods have touched her and those that follow her do so out of the purest respect. She may seem too perfect, which is exactly why certain people want to see her brought down. But the conflict they bring is only part of her struggle. The inner journey that she takes as she struggles to accept all that is thrown at her, and more importantly, all that is expected of her, whether she wants it or not, is beautifully depicted in word and images.

Star Wars Legacy II: Prisoner of the Floating World by Corinna Sara Bechko and  Gabriel Hardman

One hundred and thirty-eight years after A New Hope, Star Wars Legacy II mercilessly jumps right into the aftermath of Legacy with exciting lightsaber battles, dogfights, political conflict and more. It wastes no time on exposition, which means that yes, you need to read Legacy, both for backstory and for awesomeness. The Galactic Fleet, the Empire and the Jedi are clinging to their tenuous triumvirate in an attempt to bring order back to the galaxy after the death of Darth Krayt. Meanwhile, on some backwater planet, the feisty young salvager, Ania Solo, finds a lightsaber that inevitably leads her and her friends, a Mon Cal refugee and an assassin droid with morals, into a whole lot of trouble and brings her to the attention of, well, everyone.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Ania. I didn’t want her simply to be Girl Han of the Future and I didn’t want a repeat of Cade Skywalker’s struggles with the legacy of his surname. Skywalker is, after all, a pretty big name in this universe, even a hundred years later, but Solo is not necessarily the name bad guys remember and fear. Fortunately, within five issues, there was only one small motivational speech involving Ania’s ancestor.

If you enjoyed Legacy as much as I did, then this is definitely going to grab you. If you’re a Star Wars fan and haven’t read Legacy yet, then get on it! The series is a refreshing take, breaking out of the standard trappings of the Star Wars universe.

With thanks to NetGalley and DarkHorse Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Dresden files: Ghoul Goblin by Jim Butcher and Joseph Cooper

A small town cop requests Harry Dresden’s aid in a pair of grisly murders that seem different in M.O. but share one important factor: a family curse. Dresden is struggling in the aftermath of werewolf events that got his best friend Murphy’s partner killed. Murphy no longer trusts Dresden, and on top of that, he’s developed a nasty head cold. But ever the good guy, Dresden joins Pres and stumbles into the typical small town strangeness as he tries to solve the mystery.

There’s not a lot of meat to this rather predictable story, but it was still enjoyable and definitely worth the read for any Dresden Files fan. I was worried that the art would lean too much into the bulky, over-muscled superhero type that is sort of implied in the covers, but Joseph Cooper did a great job of making sure Dresden’s appearance matched his self-deprecating manner. And of course, there was the obligatory trench coat. 

With thanks to NetGalley and DarkHorse Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

X-Men Vol.4 #4 by Brian Wood and David Lopez

The X-Men book featuring an all female cast has failed to impress me, relying on a typical big bad storyline and lots of explosions and lots of opportunities for the ladies to show off powers that we’ve seen a million times already. (Although Rogue getting to play with Psylocke’s recent medieval psionic adventures in the Danger Room was pretty cool). What I really care about is the interpersonal relationships between the characters, which I’m just not getting enough of. I don’t necessarily want a ladies night out, but I also don’t want issue after issue of things exploding and the women worrying about the expense. Storm and Rachel do end up having a disagreement over Storm’s decision to risk Karima’s life in the previous issue, but Rachel’s tirade felt forced and petulant, especially with her questioning Storm assuming the role of team leader. This was sort of resolved by the end of the issue and hopefully it won’t be too much of a dominant issue.

The best part about this issue is right there on the front cover. If there’s one thing I love about Wolverine, it’s how he deals with his girls. From Kitty to Oya and here, back to Jubilee, who is compelled to visit her old life, including, fittingly, the mall where she first saw the X-Ladies and wanted to have their babies based on their sheer awesomeness. Logan chauffeurs Jubilee and baby Shogo around, offering some touching moments and encouraging words on her new status as a mother.

Hawkeye vol.2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction and David Aja

I <3 Hawkeye. Perhaps not as much as Pizza Dog, his tenants/neighbours and the women in his life, but enough to make sure this series is always on my shelf. This is all about Clint Barton and what he does when he’s not Avengering. Most of the time, that means getting himself into a lot of trouble and increasing his collection of bandages by doing the sort of wrong thing for the the sort of right reasons. I adore that entire issues of the this volume were dedicated to time spent with the neighbours in his apartment. As usual, Kate Bishop is a constant fixture in Clint’s life, doing her best to keep him from getting run over. She gets to have a few moments of glory to herself. As does Pizza Dog in a dog’s eye view story that deals with a particular plot that would have gone completely differently had Pizza Dog not gotten involved. My only frustration is the art, which keeps changing from Aja’s perfection to the harsher lines of the other artists which, while good, just don’t hold the same casual vibe that permeates the book, literally from cover to cover.

Cyberforce: Rebirth vol.1 by Matt Hawkins and Marc Silvestri

Image fans will remember this shiny, perky team from the ‘90s, but they definitely didn’t look like this. This is a very gritty reboot that changes everything we once knew about them, save for that fact that they are still cyborgs. Formerly soldiers of a corrupt leadership, Morgan Stryker’s team are escaped refugees, struggling with their cybernetic implants. Meanwhile, the evil corporation is set on weeding out the less fortunate and the obsolete in order to usher in a new era of blah blah blah. There are some mildly interesting twists and turns and its great to have Marc Silvestri’s art back, but otherwise, the story is fairly typical and filled with lots of violence, epic posing and cheesy one liners. In other words, it’s a reboot that tries to bring this story into the new century by being more brutal, but is still solidly grounded in the ‘90s superhero style of storytelling.

The entire five issue series and this volume are available for free on Comixology thanks to Kickstarter funding.

Waiting on Wednesday 11/20/13

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that lets us feature upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on!

Wendy's Pick

The Barrow by Mark S. Smylie: March 4, 2014 (Pyr)

By being in the right place (Goodreads) at the right time, I discovered that the Artesia prequel story my friend Mark Smylie is writing isn't a comic, but an epic new fantasy.

"To find the Sword, unearth the Barrow. To unearth the Barrow, follow the Map.

When a small crew of scoundrels, would-be heroes, deviants, and ruffians discover a map that they believe will lead them to a fabled sword buried in the barrow of a long-dead wizard, they think they've struck it rich. But their hopes are dashed when the map turns out to be cursed and then is destroyed in a magical ritual. The loss of the map leaves them dreaming of what might have been, until they rediscover the map in a most unusual and unexpected place.

Stjepan Black-Heart, suspected murderer and renegade royal cartographer; Erim, a young woman masquerading as a man; Gilgwyr, brothel owner extraordinaire; Leigh, an exiled magus under an ignominious cloud; Godewyn Red-Hand, mercenary and troublemaker; Arduin Orwain, scion of a noble family brought low by scandal; and Arduin's sister Annwyn, the beautiful cause of that scandal: together they form a cross-section of the Middle Kingdoms of the Known World, brought together by accident and dark design, on a quest that will either get them all in the history books, or get them all killed."

Mogsy's Pick

Red Delicious by Caitlín R. Kiernan: February 4, 2014 (Roc)

I'm really looking forward to this sequel to Blood Oranges! This is one wild series by Caitlín R. Kiernan writing as Kathleen Tierney. Siobhan Quinn is definitely not your run-of-the-mill urban fantasy heroine. Not at all. 

"Half-vampire, half-werewolf Siobhan Quinn survived her initiation into the world of demons and monsters. But staying alive as she becomes entangled in underworld politics might prove to be more difficult. When the daughter of a prominent necromancer vanishes, it's up to Quinn to find the girl. But her search will land her directly in the middle of a struggle between competing forces searching for an ancient artifact of almost unimaginable power..."