REVIEW: Blood of Gods #1

Blood of Gods #1| Writer/Letterer: Erick Dominguez | Interior Artist: Jake Bilbao | Cover Artist:  Gabriel Caitano Dos Santos | Colorist: Emily Elmer Walker 

Blood of Gods is an ongoing action fantasy adventure comic taking place in Duesala. Anthalos is a  Divinebreed with an extraordinary gift. When Stonewall is attacked by a dragon, Anthalos uses his gift to save it. However, his family is torn apart when Bithra, goddess of fear, takes his children and leaves his wife beaten and cursed. 

Blood of Gods Issue #1 showcases some of the most exciting elements of fantasy and is the setup for what looks to be a fascinating journey for our protagonist Anthalos. Being a fantasy comic the most important aspect for me as a reader is, that the comic gets me immersed into the world as soon as possible. The creators do a wonderful job at that. They started the immersion factor right at the title page by giving the reader a feel for the world. However, I really got hooked at page 4. The story starts with a little chatter and introduces Anthalos well, hinting at a past of war and bloodshed, while showcasing his view for the future with his family. Yet, that view was short lived in only a few pages because a dragon has attacked his village. Now, this is where I got sucked in. As we see the world literally burning around him the creators do a sly introduction of the title and the creators names, signaling to the reader that they were about to be on a hell of a ride.  

STORY – .5 – Star 

I enjoyed this read and I do believe it is the setup for a fascinating journey ahead, but it left me wanting so much more. Dominguez gives a reader everything they would need to get committed to this series,  but it’s all done in a very quick battle. As a reader, we know about Anthalos, yet we know nothing about the world around him. That’s because the story was not told in issue #1, as much as the plot was laid out for the reader in the action the ensued in it. I say that not to deter anyone from this story, what was done in issue #1 seems to be what is needed for issue #2. I am completely confident in the creators to fulfill my desire for more in issue #2! 

ART – 1 – Star 

It has a beautifully drawn cover which had me excited to get into the story, but I will say I am not a fan  of the white backdrop. Having a little color or maybe the town in the background would have spiced it up a little bit. Nothing to take away from a star here though. 

The interior art is great. Real clean and keeps the story at a solid pace. 

DIALOGUE – .75- Star 

I thought the best dialogue was for Anthalos, at the very beginning. It was subtle, but it offered a lot for him as a character. The rest of the dialogue progressed the story well and set up the plot, though it lacked anything specifically compelling to get me interested in a character.

EDITING – 1- Star 

This book was very well edited. I found no issues with spelling, grammar, or lettering. 

MECHANICS – .75- Star 

The story moves really fast and was an extremely easy read. Although I followed it the entire time, there was a lack of context for the situation and it relied heavily on the action. Being in the fantasy genre, I  would need to know the whole picture for me to give it 1 star in mechanics. 

CLOSING STATEMENT 

This story was a great, easy read that I would recommend to not only the fantasy lovers out there but anyone looking for an indie to pick up and read. Overall, the only thing that I didn’t like about this story is that it was only 21 pages. I hope to get my hands on issue 2 when it is available. 

LEARN MORE: http://www.bloodofgods.com