REVIEW: ‘Battle Chasers,’ Issue #10

After Nefar’s defeat, Gully and Calibretto have remained in the capitol. Meanwhile, Garrison is being hunted for his refusal to bring Red Monika in for her part in the jailbreak that has caused the kingdoms to move to the brink of war. The pieces are moving across the board in some unexpected ways in Battle Chasers #10, published by Image Comics, written by Joe Madureira, art by Ludo Lullabi, and lettering by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith.

Returning after being gone for 20 years to pick up a story left incomplete smoothly is a hard trick to pull off. Battle Chasers #10 does an admirable job of bringing its cast back to readers in as fluid a way as possible. With two pages in the book’s front dedicated to important character bios and a “previously on” recap, the story picks up right where issue nine left off. As someone who loved Madureira’s work on Uncanny X-Men back in the day and his more recent gaming projects, the revival instantly caught my attention. Thanks to the timely release of the original run collected in one volume, I could pick it up. I was excited to see how the story would continue. Any series fan will find Battle Chasers #10 worth the long wait.

Split into halves, the first portion of the book catches readers up with Red Monika and Garrison. As Monika has survived her run-in with Lord August, only marginally worse for wear, she has taken refuge in Garrison’s isolated home. The reunion is bittersweet, as Monika discovers how poorly Garrison has been handling his wife’s death after all this time. Madureira’s writing in this scene delivers the perfect quantity of talk between the two. Monika’s words come across awkward and torn, as she feels she is addressing a trusted friend and a total stranger. Garrison is not who he once was, and though Monika trusts and cares for him, she doesn’t know what to do or say that she won’t be wrong. Though her cocky personality does poke out a little, reestablishing that roguish charm, she wielded so liberally in previous tales.

As Battle Chasers #10‘s opening sequence, this scene is also hugely important for the art. With Madureira being the only artist to bring the characters to life in the original series, how the characters would translate under Lullabi’s lines and colors was of particular interest to me as I approached this book. The talented artist manages to recapture the personality of the characters both here as well as throughout the book brilliantly. Beyond just doing the characters justice, Lullabi creates the right atmosphere throughout the book thanks to the skillful perspectives and excellent mood-enhancing colors the artist utilizes.

The partly awkward, partly bittersweet reunion is interrupted by the arrival of the Martial Paladins. Again, writing and art unite perfectly to establish this threat’s brutal nature to our heroes. Despite the skill and power Garrison has been shown to wield previously, these foes feel like they are no one to take lightly. And given Monika’s current state, discretion is the better part of valor.

The back half of the book brings surprises that I didn’t see coming, as this half of the book focuses on Gully as she confronts her possibly half-brother Nefar from outside his prison cell. Just as the opening wonderfully reestablishes Garrison and Monika, this scene brings Gully back in all her sweet-hearted glory. Despite everything she has been through, the girl is still young, naive, and too tender to deal with hardened criminals. How Nefar interacts with her highlights Gully’s shortcomings brilliantly while expanding on just what kind of threats, Nefar can bring to the tale, even without his now absent hands.

Throughout both sides of this book, the dialogue is always enhanced thanks to the emotionally expressive lettering of Starkings and Smith. The bold lettering feels like a natural fit with Lullabi’s lines, allowing the dialogue to blend with the art effortlessly while building on every moment’s energy.

Battle Chasers #10 manages to pick up its tale, characters, and world like it never left. The writing brings out the characters and their emotions wonderfully, while the book’s moments of action are delivered with perfect precision thanks to the amazing artistic presentation. If you love swords and sorcery mixed with a bit of steampunk, Battle Chasers remains a unique and amazing read.

Battle Chasers #10 is available now wherever comics are sold.