The Dying and the Dead #1
Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Ryan Bodenheim
Jonathan Hickman had a great year in 2014. His Avengers run ranked among my favourite superhero comics of the year alongside his epic and imaginative East of West, one of the best indie titles . It’s only natural that I would expect a lot from the Dying and the Dead. Any indie title by Hickman is great news but the premise of this one intrigued me with the Indiana Jones comparison. Hickman is obviously an extremely creative writer and I haven’t read anything of his that isn’t a globe-spanning story. I was curious how Hickman would manage to write a smaller title that focuses on a smaller cast. He manages it well. Exceptionally well. The Dying and the Dead #1 is the strongest debut from Jonathan Hickman thus far and a title that absolutely no one should miss out on.
The comic begins with a wedding that featuring a terrible turn. A turn depicted incredibly by artist Ryan Bodenheim who pulled influence from the shocking destruction of New York in Watchmen. Despite being on a lesser scale, the art managed the capture a similar feeling that established the threat of the Bah Al Sharur clan incredibly. The sequence is quick and powerful due to a fantastic opening narration about the timeline of love. It’s a poignant piece, setting the stage for a book that is about the death of love and what someone will do to prevent said death and cling on to something that is facing an inevitable doom. This fast paced opening was the perfect way to grip my interest for the story to come.
Jonathan Hickman is infamous for taking his time with his stories but the Dying and the Dead has gotten straight to the point in its first issue. Hickman is attempting a new type of story that focuses less on an entire world or multiverse, but on an adventure to retrieve a treasure and thwart an evil cult. However, there isn’t a lack of world building here. It isn’t on the level of Hickman’s impressive East of West but the universe created has evidently been thought out quite well. There are numerous hints to a shady past and established character relationships.
Speaking of character relationships, Hickman creates a lot of strong dynamics in this issue that will bolster this comic’s greatness for the time to come. The adventure that will ensue in subsequent issues will follow two characters who clashed upon their first encounter. With this, Hickman is able to define his protagonist as a sad and grumpy man that we can all sympathize with. He doesn’t want to die alone and the prospect of this is affecting his behavior and thinning his patience. While being a tad unlikeable at times, we get a clear sense that there is much more to this man than meets the eye. There is no doubt in my mind that by the time Hickman explore his depths, we will fall in love with this man, like many Hickman creations before him.
I believe that one of the principles reasons Hickman’s work resonates with me so much is the blatantly included philosophy. If anything, Hickman is a philosopher who shares his ideas with his vivid imagination and The Dying and the Dead #1 may be one of his heftiest comics in terms of philosophy. The final segment of this debut is allocated to an incredible conversation between Colonel Canning and the Bishop. The Bishop, a character who oozes deep thought and heavy concepts throughout his entire appearance. This brings an intensity to this issue that I adored, though some readers may not. It slows the pacing of the story down in order to explore various aspect of humanity through the mind of Jonathan Hickman.
Fan favourite artist Ryan Bodenheim handles the art duties and if you haven’t guessed by my previous comment, I adored his pencilling. Equally capable of conveying the gruesome violence of the opening sequence as he is at creating a beautiful underground world. This world, being fantastically designed, was something I marveled at upon my third re-read (I’ve read it four times…). The detail Bodenheim put into creating this landscape is a fantastic showing of his talent. Despite basic paneling, Hickman chose the perfect artist to bring his new comic to life.
There are some comics that feel special from the first few pages. Comics that enthrall me, comics that make me want to sit down and read for my entire day. The Dying and the Dead is one of those comics. I’ve been a huge Jonathan Hickman fan ever since I read New Avengers #1 but this is Hickman writing a new kind of story. An adventure story following a man who is desperately clinging on to the life of the sole person he’s ever loved. It’s a story about what we all do to keep that flame ignited even though it may not be for the best of us. This tale is a personal one that a wise and profound writer is telling with heart and evident inspiration. Hickman has outdone himself with the Dying and the Dead. A series that deserves everyone’s attention.
Artist: Ryan Bodenheim
Jonathan Hickman had a great year in 2014. His Avengers run ranked among my favourite superhero comics of the year alongside his epic and imaginative East of West, one of the best indie titles . It’s only natural that I would expect a lot from the Dying and the Dead. Any indie title by Hickman is great news but the premise of this one intrigued me with the Indiana Jones comparison. Hickman is obviously an extremely creative writer and I haven’t read anything of his that isn’t a globe-spanning story. I was curious how Hickman would manage to write a smaller title that focuses on a smaller cast. He manages it well. Exceptionally well. The Dying and the Dead #1 is the strongest debut from Jonathan Hickman thus far and a title that absolutely no one should miss out on.
The comic begins with a wedding that featuring a terrible turn. A turn depicted incredibly by artist Ryan Bodenheim who pulled influence from the shocking destruction of New York in Watchmen. Despite being on a lesser scale, the art managed the capture a similar feeling that established the threat of the Bah Al Sharur clan incredibly. The sequence is quick and powerful due to a fantastic opening narration about the timeline of love. It’s a poignant piece, setting the stage for a book that is about the death of love and what someone will do to prevent said death and cling on to something that is facing an inevitable doom. This fast paced opening was the perfect way to grip my interest for the story to come.
Jonathan Hickman is infamous for taking his time with his stories but the Dying and the Dead has gotten straight to the point in its first issue. Hickman is attempting a new type of story that focuses less on an entire world or multiverse, but on an adventure to retrieve a treasure and thwart an evil cult. However, there isn’t a lack of world building here. It isn’t on the level of Hickman’s impressive East of West but the universe created has evidently been thought out quite well. There are numerous hints to a shady past and established character relationships.
Speaking of character relationships, Hickman creates a lot of strong dynamics in this issue that will bolster this comic’s greatness for the time to come. The adventure that will ensue in subsequent issues will follow two characters who clashed upon their first encounter. With this, Hickman is able to define his protagonist as a sad and grumpy man that we can all sympathize with. He doesn’t want to die alone and the prospect of this is affecting his behavior and thinning his patience. While being a tad unlikeable at times, we get a clear sense that there is much more to this man than meets the eye. There is no doubt in my mind that by the time Hickman explore his depths, we will fall in love with this man, like many Hickman creations before him.
I believe that one of the principles reasons Hickman’s work resonates with me so much is the blatantly included philosophy. If anything, Hickman is a philosopher who shares his ideas with his vivid imagination and The Dying and the Dead #1 may be one of his heftiest comics in terms of philosophy. The final segment of this debut is allocated to an incredible conversation between Colonel Canning and the Bishop. The Bishop, a character who oozes deep thought and heavy concepts throughout his entire appearance. This brings an intensity to this issue that I adored, though some readers may not. It slows the pacing of the story down in order to explore various aspect of humanity through the mind of Jonathan Hickman.
Fan favourite artist Ryan Bodenheim handles the art duties and if you haven’t guessed by my previous comment, I adored his pencilling. Equally capable of conveying the gruesome violence of the opening sequence as he is at creating a beautiful underground world. This world, being fantastically designed, was something I marveled at upon my third re-read (I’ve read it four times…). The detail Bodenheim put into creating this landscape is a fantastic showing of his talent. Despite basic paneling, Hickman chose the perfect artist to bring his new comic to life.
There are some comics that feel special from the first few pages. Comics that enthrall me, comics that make me want to sit down and read for my entire day. The Dying and the Dead is one of those comics. I’ve been a huge Jonathan Hickman fan ever since I read New Avengers #1 but this is Hickman writing a new kind of story. An adventure story following a man who is desperately clinging on to the life of the sole person he’s ever loved. It’s a story about what we all do to keep that flame ignited even though it may not be for the best of us. This tale is a personal one that a wise and profound writer is telling with heart and evident inspiration. Hickman has outdone himself with the Dying and the Dead. A series that deserves everyone’s attention.
A Look Inside
