Battlecats Volume 3 #1 Review
Battlecats Volume 3, Issue 1 is the first comic book in the last volume of Battlecats series. It’s written by Mark London with art by Michael Camelo, coloring by Tekino and Ricardo Castillo, and lettering/book design Miguel A Zapata. While editing duties are handled by Chris Fernandez and Giovanna T Orozco.
Synopsis:
Valadar has claimed the throne, and the Battlecats are fractured without their leader. Will Valderia unite to survive Rorinhal or will Myrthalen recreate the power of the Mark of the Fang and bring an end to Valderia?
Battlecats Volume 3, Issue 1 is available now to pre-order through your local comic shop.
Battlecats Volume 3 #1 Story
Battlecats Volume 3 #1 kicks off with what feels like the end of Valderia and to the characters of the Battlecats the end of their beloved kingdom. With that evil son of a bitch Valadar claiming the thrown and Battlecats leader Kelthan finding slight reprieve at the bottom of the bottle, all hope seems lost. However, Kelthan is quite content beating on Valadar’s grunts in his drunken state only to slip up and having the remaining Battlecats come to his aid.
What feels like could be a boring and uninspired turn about of events so early on in this issue is quickly abandoned by London’s smart play of having Kelthan curse the remaining Battlecats and everything they stand for only to return to drinking his weight in cat-whiskey!? Or whatever the hell giant six-foot-tall anthropomorphic cats drink. I for one, never want to try that drink.
Meanwhile, Valadar in his newly appointed throne room looks to the skull of his love. A skull he seeks to get some much needed Valada-tion from. Here we see the beginnings of Valadar’s gradual descent into madness. A relationship as close to Thanos and Death’s on again, off again infatuation that we’re ever going to get from a Mad Cave Studios. It’s the stereotype of the power hungry despot who gets caught up in his own head and lets distraction seep into his domain to take the ultimate advantage.
An advantage like allowing the remaining Battlecats team to introduce us to a new team member before rescuing the corpse of their long dead king frozen in magic ice only to return him to the Queen for a proper burial. A ritual fit for a warrior king as his corpse is set out to sea only to be lit ablaze at the end of a flaming arrow. A statement that the cat kingdom is as close to humanity as they ever can be. A sombre moment, although, I felt more for the Battlecats returning to their queen with the king in tow rather than for the actual funeral.
Issue 1 comes to an end with a scene that, for all intents and purposes, feels like an epilogue as a now sober Kelthan heads off on a new adventure of his own. One to find himself and new purpose in his life. One where he doesn’t mind exchanging his sword in a barter for travel.
This is a story where you can feel writer Mark London moving his players (characters) around the board as he looks to bring a finite close to his Battlecats chapter. Were this a cinematic fantasy trilogy, Volume 3 would be the last film, as you can feel the purpose of his characters bleed from panel to panel. Characters that are so resolute in a single direction: dethroning Valadar and bringing peace back to Valderia.
Battlecats Volume 3 #1 Art
Michael Camelo’s artwork couldn’t be stronger. There’s a vibrancy in the illustration of these characters. A vibrancy which feels more animatic than comic book. A level of excitement despite the depressive mood of the majority of this issue. The pairing of Tekino and Richard Castillo’s coloring talent is a masterstroke. The pair understand form, mood and textures of the Battlecats so well it’s hard to comprehend any other coloring team achieving such a result.
Battlecats Volume 3 #1 Conclusion
This is a great first issue marking the march of the Battlecats down the road towards their adventure. The characters voices are strong while the artistic endeavours continue to push the boundaries to new heights. This feels like the last battle in the Battle for Middle Earth if Middle Earth weren’t overpopulated by horrible rodentia we’ve all come to know as Hobbits.
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