The Mercenary, Volume 1: The Cult of the Sacred Fire
The Mercenary series
Vicente Segrelles
NBM Publishing
Fiction, Fantasy/Graphic Novel
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: In a realm above the clouds, the nameless Mercenary pulls off a daring rescue, only to be betrayed by the woman. Plunging into the world below, he finds a land he never knew existed, and a new mission and mystery.
This anniversary edition includes notes from the author/artist on the creation of this groundbreaking graphic novel series.
REVIEW: As one might guess from the description and cover art, the storyline is a throwback to Conanesque pulp tropes: wildly imaginative settings, stock characters like the stoic and honorable Mercenary and treacherous queen and lecherous sultan, etc. Those aspects of the tale don't age well (particularly how even the most empowered women in the piece are still untrustworthy and defined by their sex appeal), but the artwork - all in oils, apparently one of the first such graphic novels produced, every image as detailed as a cover piece - remains impressive. The appendix sections by the creator explain how his circuitous route to graphic novels, via technical drawing and advertising, ultimately gave him the skills that make The Mercenary a classic work of art... and how the timing of this piece, just as Spain emerged from dictatorship and almost giddily cast off oppressive censorship laws, helped shape a story Segrelles more or less made up on the fly. I don't know if I'll read on - the plot itself is a bit dated for my tastes, plus, being a straight female, the promise of more nude and largely powerless women holds little appeal - but if I do it'll be largely to admire the artwork and undoubtedly keen imagination at work. (Plus, it would have to be free on Hoopla, as I found this one.)
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