Tama and The Eternal Warrior have discovered the location of the Corrupted One and have set out to confront him. Will they be able to defeat him or will the Book of the Geomancer’s final prophecy become reality? How does it fare?
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Robert Venditti spends quite a bit of time recapping the dangers the Corrupted One poses to Earth if he is successful in gaining the full powers of the Geomancer; yet, he is able to turn the recap into an emotional conversation that shows the humanity of both Tama and Gilad, The Eternal Warrior. Their humanity is manifested in their fear, but also their resolve to conquer and defeat it. Venditti really hits you with some emotional punches by displaying their love for each other as only a father and daughter can have.
While hitting with the emotions, Venditti also exposes the true evil and villainy of the Corrupted One and introduces readers to Punk Mambo, detailing some of her magical skills. He pretty much nails the characterization in this book.
The dialogue is top-notch, especially between Tama and Gilad. However, parts of it between Master Darque and David, a second Geomancer, is a little preachy and comes off as a typical villain monologue that is way over the top. It’s a little disappointing to see a character say, “I’m angered.” Venditti also uses Master Darque to reiterate certain points that can be a little redundant. However, once you get past this monologue the rest of the dialogue is brisk and to the point as Tama and Gilad do battle with Master Darque.
The artwork is excellent. Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite are really able to create a sense of movement in the body positioning they use for David and Master Darque. You can really see the detail they put in the artwork, especially for Master Darque with the lines in his fingers and the actual shape of the fingers. It adds to his evil factor.
There was one page that connects all three of the different story lines: Punk Mambo, Tama and Gilad, and Master Darque. They weave them all together in an eight-panel page, switching back and forth between depicting Punk Mambo’s suffering, Master Darque’s absorption of power, and Tama and Gilad’s discovery of Master Darque’s evil. It really hits at the danger the world is in.
The action sequences continue to amplify the danger and intensity of the battle, having Gilad suffer brutal and severe wounds. This is coupled with close-ups of his face showing desperation, fear, and finally courage.
The Verdict
[easyazon_link identifier=”B0162D0TGI” locale=”US” tag=”bounintocomi-20″]Book of Death #4[/easyazon_link] is a good conclusion to Valiant’s major event book. Robert Venditti nicely wraps up the story with an epic battle and a fitting end. There are some truly powerful, emotional moments in this book that not only show Venditti’s excellent scriptwriting, but also Robert Gill and Doug Braithwaite’s fabulous artwork. The action scenes are exciting and do an excellent job of showing how much is at risk. This should definitely be on your pull list!