Book of Death Re-read

[jmatt]

Suffice it to say this reads way better in one sitting. So much more is clear to me now, I don't know how I missed aspects of it month to month.

The events in the book are a prophecy, not history from the future. It is even referred to as such. In issue #3, Gilad even says "The future foretold in the book has to be stopped." There was some question in my mind as to whether it could be averted but no more.

The speculation about whether David is actually the Corrupted One fall flat. Apart from it being visually obvious that it's Darque, there's even mention of the Corrupted One being a master of necromantic energy. It was always Darque, imo, but now I know for sure.

The issue that seemed like a placeholder, #3, really isn't. Through it, we see the attacks on Gilad and Tama go from being attacks by normal creatures (ants, scorpions) to ones invoked by Darque, dead and super-charged. That doesn't seem like a much of a revelation, but we see Darque amping up the level of the attacks.

Great mini. So much more satisfying to read this way. Even the final conflict feels more satisfying.

[Peter]

Totally agree jmatt, Their journey doesn't seem so long this way, and as you say the attacks just amp up the closer that they get to thwarting Darque's plans.

As he (Darque) says, that if only he had gotten to Tama first rather than David, things may have been different.

I enjoyed the aspect that this struggle was between the Geomancer with her protector, against the evil that had hoped to take control and mold the Earth's future to his own perverted vision. That the rest of Unity and the governing forces misread the whole situation was of no consequence to Gilad, who remained singular to his purpose.

Terrific read, especially in one sitting

[JonesyAZ]

Curious...have you guys or is anyone considering a re-read of all twelve issues? I have yet to receive my LotG miniseries from Ed at Paradise...but once I do, what order should I read everything?

I'm guessing the following:

BOD: LotG 1-4
BOD 1-4
BOD: The Fall of Bloodshot
BOD: The Fall of Ninjak
BOD: The Fall of Harbinger
BOD: The Fall of X-O Manowar

[Phoenix8008]

Curious...have you guys or is anyone considering a re-read of all twelve issues? I have yet to receive my LotG miniseries from Ed at Paradise...but once I do, what order should I read everything?

I'm guessing the following:

BOD: LotG 1-4
BOD 1-4
BOD: The Fall of Bloodshot
BOD: The Fall of Ninjak
BOD: The Fall of Harbinger
BOD: The Fall of X-O Manowar

I would switch the Fall of Bloodshot and Fall of X-O issues out to end with Bloodshot. Other than that it looks good.

[Blood of Heroes]

Curious...have you guys or is anyone considering a re-read of all twelve issues? I have yet to receive my LotG miniseries from Ed at Paradise...but once I do, what order should I read everything?

I'm guessing the following:

BOD: LotG 1-4
BOD 1-4
BOD: The Fall of Bloodshot
BOD: The Fall of Ninjak
BOD: The Fall of Harbinger
BOD: The Fall of X-O Manowar

None of those books have anything to do with the others. Read them in any order you like.

[jmatt]

Curious...have you guys or is anyone considering a re-read of all twelve issues?

Just took out all four issues of LotG tonight...

And Blood of Heroes is right, they all stand independent of one another.

One other observation : Over and over again in BoD, we see people impaled by trees. The townspeople at the beginning, Gilad in the prophecy and Darque at the finish. I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a story beat but it seemed a little repetitive. Darque's animal attacks broke it up a bit, but still.

I think I saw some some chatter about this in the BoD #4 thread, but consider: If time and events can't be changed (ala Timewalker), then Darque has always been defeated by Tama in our present. So that means none of the events in the Book of Geomancer about a desolated Earth ever took place.

So what is this prophecy Gilad 3001 sent back with Tama? A story he concocted to effect present events? Who put it in the book?

[hunter_peterson]

Curious...have you guys or is anyone considering a re-read of all twelve issues?

Just took out all four issues of LotG tonight...

And Blood of Heroes is right, they all stand independent of one another.

One other observation : Over and over again in BoD, we see people impaled by trees. The townspeople at the beginning, Gilad in the prophecy and Darque at the finish. I'm not sure if that was supposed to be a story beat but it seemed a little repetitive. Darque's animal attacks broke it up a bit, but still.

I think I saw some some chatter about this in the BoD #4 thread, but consider: If time and events can't be changed (ala Timewalker), then Darque has always been defeated by Tama in our present. So that means none of the events in the Book of Geomancer about a desolated Earth ever took place.

So what is this prophecy Gilad 3001 sent back with Tama? A story he concocted to effect present events? Who put it in the book?

He made Tama memorize it, I assume she wrote it in there later to give her younger self the knowledge too stop Darque.

[jmatt]

He made Tama memorize it, I assume she wrote it in there later to give her younger self the knowledge too stop Darque.

Hmm, an interesting notion. I like the way this all played out, but the Ouroboros thing's been done before. I hope we don't see too much more of it.

[Bl00dsh0t]

This was so much better in a single sitting. The pace was excellent and the reader gets a true sense of the impending doom, death and destruction should Darque not be stopped.

This was Tama's story. Her growth from timid and semi vulnerable girl to someone brimming with confidence and a true protector/speaker of the Earth.

Even the Punk Mambo cameo made sense on the re-read with MI6 needing that divine intervention to locate Darque (and, as a result, his captive geomancer David). I also thought Ninjak's dialogue with Neville when Punk Mambo first 'joined' the team was a highlight.

As for Eternal Warrior, we got to see more than the brawn that's been a staple of his character with the final confrontation against the necromantic spirits full of emotion and heart. He knew what was a stake and did all that he could to prevent the book of the geomancer from coming true. This was also a nice segue into the new EW ongoing too.

Overall I'd have fo rate this a 4/5. While I would've like more glimpses into the future, i think the balance between the future and current conflict was just about right.

[jmatt]

Even the Punk Mambo cameo made sense on the re-read with MI6 needing that divine intervention to locate Darque (and, as a result, his captive geomancer David). I also thought Ninjak's dialogue with Neville when Punk Mambo first 'joined' the team was a highlight.

I agree, she seemed less 'out of place' when the arc is consumed as a whole.