DIE ISSUES #1-5 review - To DIE for
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
DIE is a 2018- ongoing fantasy comic written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Stephanie Hans. Published by Image, it tells the story of a group of friends who were brought into a living pen & paper RPG world (which is a type of cross between Dungeons & Dragons and Cyberpunk) in the 80's until they escaped, with one presumed dead back in that place. Now as adults whose lives have been sent spiraling out of control, they decide to return when they get a clue that their friend is still alive there. But now he has become the dungeon master there, and he doesn't want them to leave his game... DIE has fast become one of my favorite ongoing comics, and is one you really ought to watch if you aren't already and it even tangentially strikes your fancy.
Hans is one of those artists who's a true generational talent. Her painterly stylings do a perfect job of bringing this eclectic, grandiose hellscape to life. This is one of those comics where you could grab one of the panels, slap it in a frame, and hang it up on your wall, and it'd be gorgeous, even if that's not its intended purpose of course and such would be a sheer act of barbarism for any self-respecting comic connoisseur (hyperbole, in case you didn't catch it). But I don't think anyone could take umbrage if you had the urge to do so, as there are so many spectacular panels here that you kinda just have to sit and gawp at. DIE is brimming with visual dynamism, that does a proper good job of communicating its side of the story in a way that's easy to comprehend, which makes it a smooth reading experience. My sole problem here are some at times unintentionally gharish facial expressions, but they aren't so prevalent as to seriously damage the overwhelming quality the art radiates. Clayton Cowles' lettering is as crisp as ever, clear enough to read without any obstacles (though I believe I caught a typo in one of the middle issues--I haven't gone to check at time of writing so take that with a grain of salt) yet stylish enough to accentuate the storytelling by subtle, effective means.
For the past months, I've been slowly backlogging Gillen's other Image hit, The Wicked + the Divine, but I was super interested in getting in on the ground floor for one of his sweeping tales. Gillen does not disappoint, with a ruthlessly compelling story that has squeezed nearly as much potential out of its eye-catching conceit as it could have at this point. As you're nearing the end of this arc part way through the fifth issue (which came out this week), it's easy to wonder to yourself "How does this not wrap the story up in a nice, neat bow?" But then you hit a turning point or a few which tell you why this is going to continue being a top of the pile read (alongside other comics which usually come out the same week, like Giant Days, The Immortal Hulk, and, if your name is The Astonishingly Annoying Dan, Deathstroke). Seriously. It utterly thunderclaps any notion of "How's this not going to be a limited series?" You can really see how there's still as much fuel in this tank as is the creative team's wont. If you're fond of stories with a heavy dose of tragedy to them, you ought to be on DIE, STAT. There's a reason why this opening arc is called "Fantasy Heartbreaker."
Usually, there isn't too much to go on in terms of characters and whatnot beyond first impressions to devote a full paragraph to in one of these comic arc reviews, but I would attribute that to not every comics writer being Kieron Gillen. This guy always makes so many deftly compelling characters to follow, and those inhabiting the world of DIE are no different. Our lead, Ash, is such a phenomenal lead, that is so incredibly unique and engaging though they are not, I would stress, exactly likeable. If you're the kinda person who appreciates seeing characters of all different walks of life in your comics, you might be especially interested in this character, for reasons best experienced yourself. Then there's the other friends, who each have more depth to them than some characters who headline whole titles. The standout among them is easily Matt, the Grief Knight (though not because I'm biased or anything; traitors to the Matthew supremacy who go by "Matt" are in no way kindred spirits to me), who could easily fall into the trap of being the quintessential edgelord character, were he not handled with such grace and humanity. You can really empathize with the guy; he thought he finally grew past his teenage angst, but now he has to tap back in and use it to survive. But there's also Sol, their friend who was trapped in the world of DIE for decades, who serves as the primary antagonist. There's so much you can tell that is going on underneath the surface with this dude, just like his dominion, and I'd definitely like to explore some of his years where he was trapped in this place, alone, even if we've already heard a bit about it. If you're a lore wonk, you'll sure as hell love DIE, that much is positively coitain. The dialogue and narration feels natural and helps to bring an added layer to the characters, particularly Ash who is our point of view character.
DIE, if it keeps going as it's going, will be just as big a phenomenon as WicDiv, The Walking Dead, Saga, and other bespoke Image watermark books. Its quality is off the charts, and is yet another Image release not to miss. And I know I keep saying that, with reviews like my previous one for Middlewest, but that's because Image puts out some of the best books, hands down. DIE's first five issues get a 9.5/10.
Must-read
Summary:
Stunning art, phenomenal writing--DIE is a winner, fast becoming a member of the Image pantheon for addictive reads.
DIE is a 2018- ongoing fantasy comic written by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Stephanie Hans. Published by Image, it tells the story of a group of friends who were brought into a living pen & paper RPG world (which is a type of cross between Dungeons & Dragons and Cyberpunk) in the 80's until they escaped, with one presumed dead back in that place. Now as adults whose lives have been sent spiraling out of control, they decide to return when they get a clue that their friend is still alive there. But now he has become the dungeon master there, and he doesn't want them to leave his game... DIE has fast become one of my favorite ongoing comics, and is one you really ought to watch if you aren't already and it even tangentially strikes your fancy.
Hans is one of those artists who's a true generational talent. Her painterly stylings do a perfect job of bringing this eclectic, grandiose hellscape to life. This is one of those comics where you could grab one of the panels, slap it in a frame, and hang it up on your wall, and it'd be gorgeous, even if that's not its intended purpose of course and such would be a sheer act of barbarism for any self-respecting comic connoisseur (hyperbole, in case you didn't catch it). But I don't think anyone could take umbrage if you had the urge to do so, as there are so many spectacular panels here that you kinda just have to sit and gawp at. DIE is brimming with visual dynamism, that does a proper good job of communicating its side of the story in a way that's easy to comprehend, which makes it a smooth reading experience. My sole problem here are some at times unintentionally gharish facial expressions, but they aren't so prevalent as to seriously damage the overwhelming quality the art radiates. Clayton Cowles' lettering is as crisp as ever, clear enough to read without any obstacles (though I believe I caught a typo in one of the middle issues--I haven't gone to check at time of writing so take that with a grain of salt) yet stylish enough to accentuate the storytelling by subtle, effective means.
For the past months, I've been slowly backlogging Gillen's other Image hit, The Wicked + the Divine, but I was super interested in getting in on the ground floor for one of his sweeping tales. Gillen does not disappoint, with a ruthlessly compelling story that has squeezed nearly as much potential out of its eye-catching conceit as it could have at this point. As you're nearing the end of this arc part way through the fifth issue (which came out this week), it's easy to wonder to yourself "How does this not wrap the story up in a nice, neat bow?" But then you hit a turning point or a few which tell you why this is going to continue being a top of the pile read (alongside other comics which usually come out the same week, like Giant Days, The Immortal Hulk, and, if your name is The Astonishingly Annoying Dan, Deathstroke). Seriously. It utterly thunderclaps any notion of "How's this not going to be a limited series?" You can really see how there's still as much fuel in this tank as is the creative team's wont. If you're fond of stories with a heavy dose of tragedy to them, you ought to be on DIE, STAT. There's a reason why this opening arc is called "Fantasy Heartbreaker."
Usually, there isn't too much to go on in terms of characters and whatnot beyond first impressions to devote a full paragraph to in one of these comic arc reviews, but I would attribute that to not every comics writer being Kieron Gillen. This guy always makes so many deftly compelling characters to follow, and those inhabiting the world of DIE are no different. Our lead, Ash, is such a phenomenal lead, that is so incredibly unique and engaging though they are not, I would stress, exactly likeable. If you're the kinda person who appreciates seeing characters of all different walks of life in your comics, you might be especially interested in this character, for reasons best experienced yourself. Then there's the other friends, who each have more depth to them than some characters who headline whole titles. The standout among them is easily Matt, the Grief Knight (though not because I'm biased or anything; traitors to the Matthew supremacy who go by "Matt" are in no way kindred spirits to me), who could easily fall into the trap of being the quintessential edgelord character, were he not handled with such grace and humanity. You can really empathize with the guy; he thought he finally grew past his teenage angst, but now he has to tap back in and use it to survive. But there's also Sol, their friend who was trapped in the world of DIE for decades, who serves as the primary antagonist. There's so much you can tell that is going on underneath the surface with this dude, just like his dominion, and I'd definitely like to explore some of his years where he was trapped in this place, alone, even if we've already heard a bit about it. If you're a lore wonk, you'll sure as hell love DIE, that much is positively coitain. The dialogue and narration feels natural and helps to bring an added layer to the characters, particularly Ash who is our point of view character.
DIE, if it keeps going as it's going, will be just as big a phenomenon as WicDiv, The Walking Dead, Saga, and other bespoke Image watermark books. Its quality is off the charts, and is yet another Image release not to miss. And I know I keep saying that, with reviews like my previous one for Middlewest, but that's because Image puts out some of the best books, hands down. DIE's first five issues get a 9.5/10.
Must-read
Summary:
Stunning art, phenomenal writing--DIE is a winner, fast becoming a member of the Image pantheon for addictive reads.
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