BORN OF BLOOD #1 – Review

BORN OF BLOOD #1, from Merc Magazine via Kickstarter, recounts the origin of Princess Giaris’s rise to power as the proud successor to her father’s crown. Does she have what it takes to become the next leader of Sparta?

The Details

• Written By: Dolan
• Art By: Carlos Beccaria
• Colors By: Sebastian Gonzalez
• Letters By: Joel Rodriguez
• Cover Art By: Franck Uzan
• Cover Price: $5 (digital pdf)
• Release Date: March 2022 (estimated)

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Was It Good?

We get a lot of indie submissions. Everyone has an idea about the latest and greatest superhero or crime thriller. We like creative, thoughtful stories, so we take them all and review them in due course. But, there’s a special type of story that holds a special place in our collective reviewer hearts, and that’s the “spiritual successor” story. It’s the story that has its own take on a subject with its own style but feels like it could be a continuation of a well-known, well-liked property. It’s the type of story that stands on its own merits but could easily be seen to fit inside another world you already know.

Why the (wordy) preface? It’s for you to better understand what we mean when we say BORN OF BLOOD #1 is the spiritual successor to Frank Miller’s 300 and why that’s high praise.

Rooted in historical events (with some creative license taken), BORN OF BLOOD #1 follows Princess Giaris from birth to adulthood under the demanding eye of her father, King Cleomenes. Dolan captures the essence of what makes Spartan life so demanding, harsh, and ultimately unparalleled in battle. The stoic demeanor of the King instantly presents him as a ruler and father whose trust must be earned through excellence. Giaris lives a pampered life, but when she comes of age and must learn the ways of survival and leadership, her lessons are brutal. When Giaris begins to toughen and excel through her lessons, she becomes a warrior to be envied.

You could make the case that a majority of this issue is effectively a training montage, but that’s okay. Many an action film is fondly remembered for its training montages more than dramatic pathos. Pick any Jean Claude Van Damme film from the late 80s for proof. That said, the action of the training develops Giaris as a character, you see how the training indoctrinates her into the Spartan warrior way of life, and when she’s finally tasked with putting her training to use, you see how her position as a Princess and potential successor to her father’s position is earned.

The net effect is respect. You respect Princess Giaris as a Princess, as a woman, and as a warrior. The entire issue leads you to respect this character and leads you to want to know more about what comes next.

The art by Beccaria, Gonzalez, and Rodriguez is fantastic in this issue. The lines are crisp and clean. The overlapping, asymmetrical panel layouts are visually interesting, and the color shading to reflect low light conditions is excellent. It would have been nice to see a little more pop in color for dramatic effect since the issue is almost entirely earth tones, but the palette choice suits the setting.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We begin with a late-night scene where a woman dies during childbirth. She’s given birth to a daughter, Princess Giaris, successor to King Cleomenes of Sparta. The unusually stoic King shows little remorse for his wife and complete disappointment that his heir is a girl. Rather than doing the unthinkable, he accepts the girl and gives her all the tutelage expected of a lady.

Once Giaris turns 18, she’s visited by the King in the middle of the night and is ordered to follow her to another part of the castle. She’s invited into a locked area where she believes a birthday present is waiting for her. Instead, she’s greeted by Mor, a large man, and an unrelenting combat trainer who promptly beats Giaris into submission. Her warrior training has begun.

As the training progresses, Giaris’s Spartan blood pushes her to get back up again and again until eventually, the daily beatings become daily sparring become expert fighting. Nearly a year later, the soft girl has become a knuckle-hardened warrior. We conclude the issue with an opportunity for enemies, and the ultimate test.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

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