Once upon a time, we lived alongside Legends. Creatures of myth. Centaurs, fauns, gorgons, kelpies, gnomes, and more. They were spectacular. Majestic. Powerful. Peaceful. Pure. In comparison, we were ugly. Weak. Warmongering. Rotten. Is it any wonder we could not live alongside them any longer?
After driving these Legends to the fringes of society, an uglier form of mythos takes shape in the form of rumours of live snuff shows for dark web high rollers. When a mysterious young woman, Nessa, enlists the help of a hacker to take a tour of the grisliest corners of the Dark Web, she sets in motion a war between those who peddle to mankind’s darkest fantasies and a world that transcends imagination.
Thoughts……I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this issue since I first saw the preview in NOW, and I was not disappointed at all, from the first moment I was hooked. The writing really grabs you from the off and pulls you into the setting. I liked the way this sets up the world that the series is set in while at the same time telling the story. It's so subtly done that all the time we are learning about this world that is similar to ours but it feels like we are just there with the characters as they talk. To say this tale has a dark side is an understatement, the opening pages set that tone very well and as the issue gets going and we get mentions of other services on the dark web things get darker still. What makes this even more unsettling is that all these things are from the real world we live in, replace Fey with a minority or unlucky passerby and this is the world we live in now, and that's a scary thought. I get a sense that there is more going on than meets the eye as the story unfolds, I definitely think there is more to Nessa than is let on in this first issue.
The art style is clear and at moments disturbing, especially when the Fey are involved. There are some great panels throughout, and one page that stands out comes later in the book where we see the narrated scenes being reflecting in Nessa’s eyes, this is a great way of doing it as is it meant to be showing how she is picturing things in her mind rather than just hearing the words. The reveal on the last page (which will only come as a surprise if you had now seen any of the previews) was so full of colour and is in complete contrast to the rest of the issue, it was a great way to end the first issue of the book.
What a first issue, sets up the world and tone and introduces us nicely to the characters in a way that feels natural and not overbearing. I can not wait to see what issue 2 will bring us as there are so many questions raised in this first offering. I would give this issue 8 out of 10, what an amazing start to the AWA year.
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