Nerds That Geek Comic Book Review – ‘Mythica: Darkness Rising’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

If there’s one thing I’ve always loved about comic books as a whole, it’s the sheer fact that they can make the impossible, possible. It doesn’t matter how big of an idea an artist and writer can dream up, with some dedication and hard work, that dream can come to life on the page and being able to see that kind of wonder within a comic is precisely what brings us back to these magnificent books time and time again. Yet, while a trip to our local comic book store often yields an endless supply of wonder, there’s only one place where the magic of these magnificent stories is truly unleashed and that’s the independent market. For comics that are free of the usual constraints of the big companies, are the ones that truly provide us with unfettered ideas, the kind that leave you in awe and recently, I had the opportunity to read an independent graphic novel from Actionline Studios, and well, I have to say up front that Mythica: Darkness Rising, is everything you could ask for from an independent comic and more.
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But, before we break down the details of what makes this comic so great, we need to talk about its unique plot because that’s really what draws you into this book, and in this particular tale we are introduced to a young woman named Kimberly Bradshaw who is the living a good life in 1914 Belgium. After all, she’s in a healthy and magnificent relationship, she’s surrounded by good people and really, there’s only one strange caveat to her life in that, she’s plagued by some strange and powerful dreams about monsters and strongmen and the vivid nature of these dreams outright concern her. For they feel a little too real at times, and when one of her friends passes into the great beyond under circumstances that seemed to be pulled straight from her head, she begins to panic and worry that something greater is on the horizon, and she’s right. For the creatures that walk through her mind while she sleeps at night as real as can be and now, they’re coming for Kimberly and it will be up to her, and the other people she’s only known in the dream world to stop this evil from spreading across the globe…

So, I have to admit that this comic completely took me off guard when I picked it up and I mean that in the best way possible. Because at first glance that plot, and how it is assembled on the page, truly makes it seem as though you’re about to be drawn into a fantasy story at first, one where it seems as though Kimberly is going to dive deeper into her dreams to escape the potential horrors of the war that her husband is about to take part in. So, imagine my joyous surprise when this sucker adds a little horror into the mix by dropping demons and vampires into our laps and well, it’s the story that’s truly a highlight of this particular comic. Because William Tooker and Meg Brubaker’s script for this book is a magnificently woven story, one that takes you on an incredible ride and keeps you glued to the page and if it seems as though I’m outright avoiding telling you more about this story you’d be absolutely right, because I simply don’t want to spoil any further surprises in the slightest, because you need to experience them for yourself.

Yet, while the plot definitely kept my attention, let’s be honest here, the art is equally as important in a comic book, in fact, it can straight up make or break a particular story and thankfully, Matt Campbell’s work here is utterly divine. His artwork here simply jumps off the page and while normally a few quick blurbs about the art is enough to hammer the point home, Matt’s work here deserves a little more detail. Because what I found fascinating about it, is the sheer fact that the colors and the lightning and everything in between are drawn in cinematic fashion. The early segments with Kimberly for example, are vibrant and full of life, much like our real world, while the dreams she suffers from are mired in darkness, and even feature muted tones to hammer home the point that there is something amiss about where her mind is going and once the demons and other evils arrive, the two styles are blended together, allowing for the story to play out like a waking nightmare visually and that’s just magnificent to say the least.

If anything, Mythica: Darkness Rising is a true comic book gem, one filled with excitement and adventure and chilling moments and the passion of its writers and its artist are evident in every single frame because this feels like a true labor of love and that makes reading it fun. Because you’re sharing in their dream, and if I’ve done enough to entice your curiosity about this book, then I highly recommend you give it a look, which bring us to where to find it, which is Actionline Studios’ homepage, since you can receive a free autograph or have a custom sketch added for a little more if you choose to order the book. Or if you’re an Amazon customer and get your comic book haul through them, you can find the Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition of the book there as well and I really do hope you check this comic book out. Because it really is a unique and magnificent story, and a breath of fresh air and it also serves as a fine reminder that sometimes, the indie comic market can blow you away with what it has to offer.   

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