The Karman Blade #1: The Blade to Slay the God

This issue was mostly a setup issue, which in a miniseries could raise concerns, as maximizing the amount of plot per issue is essential. However, The Karman Blade chooses to carefully layer the setup in such a way that readers still feel in the loop with what is going on. There is a blade, there is a god to be slain, and there is a man who is willing to do so. It is also evident that this man, Anatta, has a tumultuous past that needs to be explored, which would hopefully explain the sense of complacency he exhibits throughout the issue.

Anatta, a reluctant anti-hero of sorts, is a character that should not work in theory. At face value, he comes across as a boring, one-dimensional character one would meet in the prologue of another sprawling epic. He is, quite simply, unremarkable. The book does not hold back in letting readers know that he is unremarkable, but it is because he is unremarkable that the book allows the world to flow through him, and the story to take shape around him. He is ordinary in an extraordinary world. He lets the reader in and lets them feel comfortable exploring the things around them that would otherwise be daunting. This issue does not hold readers’ hands, but because of Anatta, it does not abandon them either.

The story is told primarily through narration, which the writer, Darcy Van Poelgeest, handles beautifully. It is reminiscent of well-known dark fantasy, yet it still feels unique to this world and story. The art by Ian Bertram has a grit to it that conveys the proper tone and a wholly individual style. Long-time comic book readers will recognize the name of colorist Matt Hollingsworth instantly, and he once again brings his A-game here. If anything can be said about this issue, it is that it is a passion project all-around, which is sure to draw fans in.