The Realm #2

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics.

Title: The Realm
Issue: 2
Date: 1993
Publisher: Caliber Comics
Writer: Brent Truax
Artist: Donald Marquez, Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Zircher
Letterer: Donald Marquez, Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Zircher
Cover: Lurene Haines

This comic has some historical interest as it features some early work by Brian Michael Bendis, who did art and lettering on 15 pages of this issue.

This issue features an extensive recap of events that have taken place earlier in the story (including a previous Realms series), so it's a good jumping-in point in spite of being the second issue.

We are introduced to a world in chaos in the aftermath of an event called the Daemonstorm, which has not only released widespread destruction, but has also caused time to flow at different rates in different areas of the Realm, resulting in some lands who are years recovered from the Daemonstorm, and others where it is remembered as yesterday.

The world itself is mostly a Tolkien-inspired fantasy setting, but there is some really good and original worldbuilding in places that breaks it out of the standard fantasy mold. The society of the Latigo Elves is particularly interesting, and should make for an interesting backdrop as the story unfolds.

There was a lot going on in terms of plot being established and characters from the previous series being reintroduced, but none of it ever felt too overwhelming in spite of a somewhat wordy writing style. The multiple layers of plotting and intrigue kept the story interesting, and there were enough small interactions to get to know some of the key characters.

This is another title that I missed out on when it was published, in spite of me generally seeking out fantasy comics. It has an 80s b/w boom vibe, and was published about 5 years too late to really be part of that era, but the complexity of the story makes it stand out from a lot of 80s fantasy comics I've read.

I'd like to check out more of this sometime.

Rating: 8.5/10