This was a fun little one-shot story that featured some awesome action and fun characters. And is a great start to what could be a fun ongoing if Mateus and Mendes wanted to expand on it any further.
The story begins in 1123 A.D. With a man down on his luck and essentially invisible to those more fortunate than he when a young man comes across him and offers him a coin for one of his stories. The story we get takes place in Scandinavia 851 A.D.
A group of hunters are hired to take out a fierce wolf that is being said to cause chaos in the area and has also taken a young woman hostage. So they meet up with the woman’s father to get a clearer debriefing before the battle ensues. The action in this comic is a lot of fun and there ends up being a supernatural element to the story too which I appreciated. Mateus does a great job setting the scenes for what to expect in the story as he fills the pages with flourishing words about Gods and monsters. Thor, Loki, and Odin.
Unfortunately I did have trouble following the story at times. Little things in the panels here and there that kept me scratching my head as to the order of events or why a person is one panel but then they’re completely gone in the next few pages even though the location they’re in hasn’t changed.
The story does lend itself nicely to black and white which is the format they chose to publish the comic in, which was smart. The lack of color really adds itself to the atmosphere. I also really enjoyed the character designs. Everyone was rough around the edges in both personality and looks. Even by 851 A.D. Everyone seemed like they had already lived full lives.
Deiciders really does come off as a first attempt at making comics. From the paneling, to the not quite as professional looking art but still great art, but also some of the beats in the story as well. There are a few lines of dialogue that could have used more editing or been taken out altogether.
Speaking of the art, it’s quite interesting. While the art is actually pretty good there’s a moment a few pages in the middle where things sort of look like they were drawn by someone else because there’s a subtle leap in quality and it lasts like that for awhile before going back to the old style that persists in the first dozen or so pages. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing and maybe I’m just noticing the wrong things but that’s what it felt like to me.
This was a great first issue, overall. Rough around the edges. Like the characters. But I enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind reading more from this team if I ever got the chance. If you have the opportunity do go check out this comic. It’s worth your time and it’s not a long read.
Final Score: 3 Dragon Slayers out of 5
Editor’s Note: Head here to grab yourself a copy of Deiciders!
Deiciders #1 – (One-Shot)
VMComics
Story: Pedor Mendes & Andre Mateus
Script: Andre Mateus
Pencils & Inks: Pedro Mendes
Letters: Vitor Mateus & Pedro Mendes
Cover Pencils & Inks: Pedor Mendes
Cover Colors & Design: Vitor Mateus
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: Constantinople, 1123 A.D., a young man comes across a vagabond who has a very dear story to tell. A story of vikings, wolves, tricksters and gods. This is the story of the Deiciders…
