Marada the She-Wolf

Title: [amazon_link id=”0857686321″ target=”_blank” ]Marada the She-Wolf[/amazon_link]

Creators: Chris Claremont, John Bolton

Page Count: 112

Cover Price: $24.99

Release Date: November 12, 2013

Collects: Marada stories from Epic Illustrated #10-12, 22-23

Review: After hearing such good things about the Marada the She-Wolf stories, I decided to take the plunge and buy the book, sight unseen. I was NOT disappointed.

It’s very easy to fall into cliché when writing sword and sorcery stories, but aside from just one point during the second story in this book, there were none. There were plenty of plot twists and turns but everything was fresh and new, despite have been written over 30 years ago. Without giving away too much detail, the story of Marada could have been very generic, but it was the exact opposite, and left me begging for more by the time a reached the end of the book. And that’s just the story…

The art is truly a sight to behold. Words cannot do justice to the level of sheer brilliance that John Bolton has delivered. In my opinion, Mr. Bolton has far exceeded the standard set by Barry Windsor-Smith during his run on Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian. Where Chris Claremont has provided the story and voices for the characters, it was Mr. Bolton that brought them to life.

The book itself is a beautiful package with sewn binding, ensuring that each page opens fully and lays flat. The paper has a bit of a shine, but it is so thick, that several times I thought that I was turning two pages at once.

The only point where this book fails, is in the fact that it includes all of the Marada the She-Wolf stories, and the narrative leaves off at the conclusion of a story, but in the middle of an epic journey. I would gladly re-buy this material if Mr. Claremont and Mr. Bolton could find time in their schedules to finish the tale that they started in 1982.

Summary: Excellent Story + Amazing Art = One of the Best Sword and Sorcery Stories, Period.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5