DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1), from Dumitru Vlad on 6/23/23, recounts a tale of intrigue and survival when society struggles to rebuild 350 years after a great catastrophe.
The Details
- Written by: Dumitru Vlad
- Art by: Claudia Tomasi, Robert Pop Cristian, Catalina Ometita-Dragos
- Cover art by: Claudia Tomasi
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $10.99
- Release date: June 23, 2023
Is DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1) Good?
Dumitru Vlad’s latest indie offering regales readers with an adventure that takes them to the high desert with action, intrigue, and mystery in DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1). Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Vlad’s story builds a world where a Cold War between rival nations makes for thrilling ideas, but the story stumbles with a plethora of blank spots.
Vlad’s script centers on a future where the United States is mostly a desert wasteland. The University is locked in contention with the kingdom of New New Mexico for the Traders’ Guild’s resources, leading to sabotage and assassination attempts. When Hannah, the University’s crack agent, heads out into the wastelands on a secret mission, the enemies come out in force.
Technically, this volume qualifies as a post-apocalyptic adventure, but the story has a tone, atmosphere, and society that’s much more established than anything you’d find in a Mad Max film. Think of Blade Runner in the desert without the advanced tech and more dependence on wind power.
What’s great about DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1)? Vlad’s world-building is (mostly) excellent. The individual characters have distinctive voices, but the separate nations have a style and mood that sets them apart from each other. Further, a large section of the latter half of this volume is devoted to a desert chase that’s surprisingly thrilling.
What’s not so great about DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1)? The lack of backstory and setup is a headscratcher. At most, you learn there was some catastrophe three centuries ago, but you learn little else except what’s happening at the moment. You don’t know why separate nations formed. You don’t know why there are raiders living in the wastelands. You don’t know what goods or services the Traders Guild provides to make them so crucial. And you’re given no information about Hannah’s secret mission. For an 80-page volume, that’s a lot of missing context.
How’s the art? The art team’s execution is very good. Again, the lion’s share of the second half is devoted to a lengthy desert chase, so on that point, it works. However, the first half is mostly devoted to conversations and meetings, which generally look serviceable albeit a bit flat.
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What’s DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1) About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Hannah Dombrowski waking up to a new day, preparing to greet the Traders Guild ambassador for a round of negotiations with the University. New nations have formed and solidified since the great catastrophe, and now, the University and the kingdom of New New Mexico are eager to horde the Traders Guild’s resources away from the other.
During the ambassador’s train ride, a precisely placed bomb derails the train, leading Hannah to believe a mole is working within the University’s ranks. The ambassador survived, but the security concerns gave New New Mexico the case they needed to broker an exclusive arrangement with the Guild. Now, Hannah embarks on a secret mission into the desert.
We conclude the volume with fast chases, ambushes, and deadly snipers.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC (VOL. 1) delivers high-flying adventure in the desert in a post-apocalyptic world where nations scheme and fight to survive. The intrigue and action are engaging, and the art is decent enough, but the story hurts for details and context.
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