In KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN SUN #11, available from Mad Cave Studios on March 17th, 2021, Shammah leads Gabrielle and Raphael on a hunt for the next artifact, and hopefully, the next piece of armor. When the artifact’s guardian forces Shammah to confront his selfish ambition, Shammah must prove he’s worthy or risk the lives of his Archangel friends
The Details
- Written By: Mark London
- Art By: Mauricio Villarreal
- Letters By: Justin Birch
- Cover Art By: Mauricio Villareal
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: March 17, 2021
Was It Good?
Yes. The Knights of the Golden Sun series is one of the consistently good comics out right now, both in art and in storytelling.
What we find so remarkable is how well this original tale organically blends with Biblical stories. It feels grand and epic as only stories directly from the Bible can be, but it never slips into cheap mimicry or preachiness. London’s writing captures the spirit (no pun intended) of the Biblical books while still giving the reader something new.
The art stands out more in this issue for the execution of texture. You can get a feel for a scene by the texture of the scene in-panel. Here, the desert scenes feel rough and dusty. The panels with Shammah in the underground cavern are unnaturally smooth to the point of dreaminess. Raphael and Gabrielle’s banishment to their temporary void feels formless and off-kilter. This issue is an excellent example of texture evoking a feeling.
Check out the eye-popping art in the KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN SUN #11 Preview.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
Shammah and his Archangel comrades, Raphael and Gabrielle, approach three pillars in the desert as the next likely spot for an artifact. There’s a quick exchange between Shammah and the Archangels where they question his certainty and he pushes back. This is a nice bit of foreshadowing about Shammah’s personality and the trial to come.
When the trio examines the pillars, Shammah finds a chain with a pull handle under the sand. When it pulls it, the sand beneath him falls away and he falls into darkness.
Shammah wakes up in a large room filled with geometrically perfect blocks of all sizes and a hooded figure floating in mid-air. The guardian of the artifact accuses Shammah of being too arrogant and self-important to be worthy to take the artifact.
As with all the trials in the previous issues (read our KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN SUN #10 review to see for yourself), the guardian picks one member of the search team, exposes their personal flaws, and forces them to both accept them and choose a better way forward. There’s a clear moral message about owning your flaws and striving to do better, and it’s a welcome message.
Through a series of flashbacks, readers are shown how Shammah’s desire to become a warrior for the House of David overshadowed his moral compass, adopting the “win at any cost” mentality. His ambition clouded his moral direction, and it led to mistakes that he must now accept.
Without giving away too much of the ending, Shammah gets a second chance that few ever receive, the hooded figure is revealed to be a Biblical “celebrity,” and the race gets a whole lot faster.
Final Thoughts
KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN SUN #11, available from Mad Cave Studios on March 17th, 2021, wraps the concept of personal growth, acceptance, and redemption in a visually epic adventure story. The art is some of the best in comics right now, and the plot continues to build toward something huge.
Score: 9/10
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