Bookworm Speaks!- The Court of the Dead: The Chronicle of the Underworld
Bookworm Speaks!
Court of the Dead: The Chronicle of the Underworld
by Tom Gilliland, Landry Q. Walker, Corinna Bechko
****
Acquired: Half-Price Books
Series: Court of the Dead
Hardcover: 192 Pages
Publisher: Insight Comics (May 17, 2016)
Language: English
Subject: Fantasy, Graphic Novels
****
The Story: Delve into the dark and chilling history of the Underworld itself in this immersive companion to Sideshow Collectible’s hottest new property, Court of the Dead.
In the sprawling citadels of the Underworld, deep within the vast libraries of Voxxingard, a curator sits. Staring at an empty tome, he ponders the puzzle that has been laid out before him by his Master, the shepherd of souls known as Death—a question deceptive in its simplicity, “What is the purpose of the realm of the dead?” To answer this, the curator must write a journal chronicling the rise of the Underworld and the history of the never-ending war of Heaven and Hell. From the lowest scavenger of corpses to the highest chancellor, all those within the Underworld must be questioned and examined. For what is the purpose of the land of the Dead? Is it a haven for the refugee spirits of the mortal world? A sinister part of the celestial war machine that threatens to consume reality itself? Or does it instead serve to bring true balance to the long abandoned promises of Heaven and Hell? Accompany Death’s curator on his strange journey as he unravels the most terrible and wonderful secrets found within the Court of the Dead.
The Review: “Now THAT was fun!!!”
That was the first thing Bookworm said upon the completion of this book. One of the greatest mysteries that has stirred the imaginations of men since the dawn of history is what happens to our beings once we depart the world of the living. Tales abound in the creative sphere that attempt to answer that question and this book answers it in a way that is both familiar and unique.
While it does share many elements from a variety of mythologies, this book truly feels like a unique take on what comes when we die. The nature of Heaven and Hell stands out among these concepts. For one thing: traditional Judeo-Christian concepts such as “God” and “Satan” the rulers of Heaven and Hell, seem to be absent. Heaven and Hell are actually portrayed as places that are equally bad places for a soul to end up. Good and Evil are concepts that have no meaning to either angels or demons. The only thing that seems to matter is the is orientation that one’s soul leans towards. If you lean towards order: you go to heaven. If one is on the side of chaos, they go to hell. The end result is the same for all though: Nothing more than raw material for the endless wars that rage beyond existence. It makes the Underworld not sound like such a bad place to end up. In the underworld, one can maintain a semblance of freedom
Something that Bookworm really likes is how death is portrayed in this book. Human beings fear death greatly and as a result, characters that embody death are more often than not the villains or antagonists. The Grim Reaper chasing the terrified soul through the wood, but this is not accurate…
Death does not need to chase you.
No matter where you go, it is there. Waiting for you.
Surprisingly, this actually reflects a more accurate portrayal of these entities. Gods of death were not inherently evil. Rarely were they ‘good’ but they were recognized as part of the order of the universe. Death was much more prevalent in ancient cultures than it as in our bountiful, modern world and a much more accepted part of life.
Death, in this book is portrayed as a more tragic character. An entity that is more of a shepherd than a hunter. He is called the Alltaker because that is his divinely appointed task, to take all that lives and guide it toward its afterlife. Death knows of the great injustice that has being inflicted upon the essence of the departed and thusly, the Court of the Dead was born. While there are many stories to be had among the lands of the Underworld, but thus overarching story continues to be among the most compelling. It makes the reader yearn to dive in deeper. If this is truly the fate that awaits a soul that burns particularly bright, the Death’s Court does not seem like such a bad place to end up.
If there is anything to criticize about this work, the main one would be that it was over far too soon. It feels like the reader only got a tasted of the wonders that can be beheld in the realm of Death. There was so much left to explore that Bookworm can only hope that Sideshow Collectible’s deigns to grace the Court with a second volume. Novels and comic books would do nicely as well.
The Final Verdict: At the time of this writing, this book had only been out for a little over a year and it appears that Court of the Dead has not been out for much longer either. Bookworm could not be more excited! Normally, when they have discovered a franchise, it already has a dedicated fanbase and Bookworm has to struggle to keep up! Here, Bookworm is right at the beginning. Bookworm cannot wait to explore more of the Underworld and the Court of the Dead.
The Rating: Five Grim Reapers out of Five
BUY ONE NOW!!!
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