REBEL MOON: HOUSE OF THE BLOODAXE #4, by Titan Comics on 5/22/24, concludes the Rebel Moon prequel comic with an all-out battle to protect the Lord Shasu’s world from Motherworld forces.
Credits:
- Writer: Zack Snyder, Magdalene Visaggio
- Artist: Clark Bint
- Colorist: Francesco Segala, Sabrina Del Grosso
- Letterer: AndWorld Design’s JAME
- Cover Artist: Andy Belanger (cover A)
- Publisher: Titan Comics
- Release Date: May 22, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 34
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of REBEL MOON: HOUSE OF THE BLOODAXE #4:
Plot Analysis:
Well, the prequel miniseries is over. Zack Snyder and Magdalene Visaggio end the prequel series with dramatically presented moments, lots of action, and a new status quo for Lord Shasu’s planet, but readers will come away with one inescapable question – What was the point?
In issue #3, Devra and Darrian’s rift over their conflicted loyalties widened and healed, but for different reasons. Darrian forsook his father’s leadership out of loyalty to his native people. Devra abandoned her father when his inaction against Motherworld forces fractured her faith in his leadership.
In REBEL MOON: HOUSE OF THE BLOODAXE #4, we begin with Lord Shasu assailed by visions of his late wife. She guides him through his memories of happier times and good places, leading him to acknowledge that his place as a ruler was always meant to be the protector of Shasu and its people.
In orbit, the Colonel loses patience waiting for Lord Shasu to comply with her demands, so she launches a bombing attack on the surface, killing the rebels and her own troops in order to deal with the problem quickly. Realizing that neither side is safe in the battle, bloody chaos erupts among all fighters.
Lord Shasu emerges from the flames and smoke to shout his arrival on the battlefield as the ruler and protector of Shasu. Unfortunately, nobody heeds his battle cry, forcing the ruler to realize his moment of clarity arrived much too late.
Lord Shasu walks through the battle untouched yet despondent over his failure. Broken, the ruler finds refuge in the hull of a crashed ship. Darrian approaches him, and the ruler believes his son has come to support him. The ruler’s belief is wrong, and the ruler soon dies by the axe of the rebel shaman leader.
Later, Devra sits on the throne as the new Lord Shasu in service to Balisarius and the Motherworld.
Character Development:
Through the first three issues, all character work was squarely centered on Devra and Darrian as they tried to make sense of their destiny. Here, the finale sets all eyes on Lord Shasu as a tragic figure who experiences the peace of finding his purpose that turns to tragedy when he realizes his decisions were too disastrous to set right.
Artwork and Presentation:
Clark Bint’s artwork is generally good in this issue. Bint’s costume designs are unique but still aesthetically consistent with the Rebel Moon films, and the panel composition is dramatic. Where the art gets a bit odd is in the inconsistent positioning of the inset panels, which makes the reading order confusing.
Art Samples:
Pacing and Structure:
In terms of pacing, Visaggio’s script keeps the overall story moving at a steady clip with relatively smooth transitions between scenes.
Likewise, the structure (the bones) of the story is relatively solid. Where the issue falls short in that regard is in the dialog. Heavy emphasis is placed on characters switching between English and the native language without rationale. The way the native language is written is nearly unpronounceable, and the language seems to be placed to give the book a cultural uplift, but it’s so hard to read that you wind up just ignoring it, which defeats the purpose.
Further, Snyder and Visaggio have a nasty habit of giving everyone three or four names and titles, which regularly confuse the reading experience. One character could have an English name, a Native name, a title, a nickname, a name they’re referred to by their elders, and a name they’re referred to by their children. Pick one, and stick with it.
Thematic Exploration:
Thematically, this comic centers on the tragedy of choices. A choice made too early or too late could have devastating outcomes with far-reaching consequences.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
For new readers, this series acts as a prequel to the Rebel Moon films, explaining how Devra and Darrian became leaders of a rebel army. However, therein lies the last big stumble of this series. The ending puts Devra on the throne, which is fine, but the miniseries ends without explaining how Devra and Darrian got from where the issue ends to their status quo at the start of the Rebel Moon films.
It’s as if somebody thought these unknown characters were interesting enough to warrant their own story without needing a connection to the source material. Whoever “they” were, they were mistaken.
Final Thoughts:
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REBEL MOON: HOUSE OF THE BLOODAXE #4 ends the Rebel Moon prequel miniseries on a head-scratching note. Filled with violence, dramatically framed moments, and tongue-twisting dialog, the background story ends without explaining how the characters got from here to the films, which was supposed to be the point of a prequel.
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