REVIEW: ‘The Last God,’ Issue #2

The Last God #2, “Book 1 of the Fellspyre Chronicles” is published by DC Comics’ imprint Black Label, written by Phillip K. Johnson, with art by Riccardo Federici, colors by Sunny Gho, cartography by Jared Blando, and lettering by Tom Napolitano. Previously, we were introduced to the world of Cain Anuun which is ruled by the Godslayer, King Tyr.

The King had rid the world of the plague of flowers; a monstrous sentient plant-like being that infected its enemies and used them as hosts. The God of the Void was slain at the top of the Black Stairs on the precipice of the Void. Celebrating the 30th year of this great battle, a gladiatorial battle was held to honor the King, and his band of cohorts. The lead gladiator, Eyvindr, won his freedom during this celebration after succeeding in his 60th win. Peace reigns throughout the land. All is not as it seems, however, as a sleeping evil wakes from its slumber. King Tyrgolad receives messages from the void as Mol Uhltep, the last God, infests the King and begins destroying his kingdom.

The Last God #2 begins immediately after the previous issue. The story is set over two different points of time, identifiable with two handy little symbols. A cracked crown represents the present tense, as the survivors attempt to flee the castle with Queen Cyanthe. Veikko, the Ferryman King, responsible for the Aelvan nation, attempts to drag the Queen out from her mutated husband’s grasp and his growing horde of undead soldiers.

The past is symbolized by the infamous battle ax of King Tyr, his weapon of choice before was anointed ruler of the land. A very young Tyr travels with a small warrior band hoping to pillage a small village, but the warriors quickly discover that they’re late to the party. This is the story of how Tyr and Cyanthe first met, under the most horrific of circumstances. Cyanthe and her Father were the lone survivors of a gruesome attack. To the surprise of Tyr and his brother, the beasts are still present, causing this newly formed collective to turn tail and seek refuge deep in the woods.

Johnson has a very clear story in mind, as you can see him laying the groundwork for a bigger arc that will be unveiled in issues to come. During a conversation, it’s alluded that the stories of King Tyr, the Godslayer, have been wildly misinterpreted, but without any detail as to why. We also begin to add layers of depth to the first fellowship of Godslayers and how they came to form.

However, the pace feels a little slow since the issue is divided between two stories without ever feeling like either is making headway. If the goal is to unravel this grand adventure, the initial issues need to be more focused to hook the reader in further. The story feels a little murkier having to follow the separate timelines.

Where this story continues to excel is in its illustrations thanks to Federici. The intricate detail of each of the panels, elevated due to the coloring of Gho, are worthy of gracing the cover. Federici captures these moments by extracting an intense amount of visual suspense. I’m still not thrilled with the lettering from Napolitano, as mentioned in my prior review. The font style feels unsuited for this story and the dialogue at times feels small and cramped. It’s disruptive to the flow of the story.

The Last God #2 shows great promise and has some stunning visuals to back it up. Ultimately though the follow up to the premier issue delivered an unclear message as it attempts to tackle too many things at once.

The Last God #2 is available in stores now.