DEATH DEALER #6 by Nat Jones, Jay Fotos, Joshua Ortega and Jason Hanley.
© Image

Mania Grade: B
Issue: 6
Authors: Nat Jones, Jay Fotos, Joshua Ortega and Jason Hanley
Publisher: Image
Price: $3.99

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Death Dealer #6

Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer has seen print in comics form before, via Glenn Danzig’s publisher, Verotik. But, given the lack of story behind Frazetta’s original series of paintings, Nat Jones, Jay Fotos, Joshua Ortega, and Jason Hanley have free reign to recast the character as a sort of anti-war warrior. Whenever battle overtakes the land, the Death Dealer approaches to slaughter the forces on either side until the fighting ceases. But, the writers – Jones, Fotos, and Ortega – avoid any kind of political posturing in favor of a more personal story. Duke Atar’s daughter, Adelia, loves a mere woodsman, Haden. But, when the two secretly meet in the forest, an undead force invades the kingdom of Iparsia at the behest of Mirahan, the Oblivion God. Haden dies in their raid, but returns as a host for the Death Dealer. By this issue, the Dark Rider has cut a swath of destruction through Mirahan’s Shadow Horde, en route to destroying the evil deity. In this case, he’s chosen a side. Now, with Duke Atar dead, his daughter pursues her resurrected love with a band of travelers at her side, determined to learn if any of Haden remains inside the Death Dealer. The Duke’s son, Rian Atar, prepares his army’s last stand against the Horde at the castle of King Strom. Only when the Death Dealer confronts Mirahan can Iparsia be saved.

Death Dealer offers some fantastic art by Nat Jones, which balances out the expected blood-and-thunder narrative. Fans of sword-and-sorcery will enjoy Death Dealer, but it likely won’t appeal to many outside of the genre’s fans. While I give it credit for concentrating on a very human angle – Adelia’s pursuit of the Dealer – it fails to explore it beyond a few cursory remarks. In that regard, the miniseries serves as a classic example of genre fiction – one that knows all the right notes to hit for the fans, but fails to reach beyond those boundaries with a human story that anyone can identify with. You’ll enjoy it while you read it, but it probably won’t stay with you. By contrast, Jones offers some amazingly visceral art that serves genre material just fine. The world of Iparsia languishes under a black haze that foreshadows and enhances the coming of the horde. Everything looks dirty, nasty, and bloody, as it should in a world ripped by violence. Granted, it doesn’t look like a perfect imitation of Frank Frazetta, but that’s not the point. The miniseries explores the story behind Frazetta’s images. And, while I can’t call it a classic, it’s worth a read for anyone that’s always wondered what the Death Dealer was doing at the top of that hill.

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