Chasing the Dragon #1

Chasing the Dragon #1

Heavy Metal/Magma Comix 2021

Written by Denton J. Tipton

Illustrated by Menton3

Lettered & Design by Gilberto Lazcano

Explore a dark fantasy world ravaged by the rampant abuse of a drug made from the blood of dragons. When two young slaves discover a terrible secret that could change the course of the world, will a meek alchemist's apprentice and a drug-addled concubine survive long outside their cages?

Now I am a huge fan and supporter of stories and books that are far from ordinary and generally speaking whenever Menton3 is attached to a project well you can pretty much bank that it’ll fit that bill. This is crazy and of course this isn’t your typical cray cray this is that crazy good kind of crazy in that it has these familiar elements to it, like Merlin or Dragonlance infused with a lot of Alice Through the Looking Glass. The story here is abso-freakin-lutely amazing and draws you in and makes you question so much almost immediately. This kind of engagement in the story isn’t something that happens all that often so it’s a nice testament to the talent and skill we see within the pages.

I am loving the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The way we are introduced to the world, to the characters and what is represented here is really something amazing. The character development that we see is phenomenal and while it appears ambiguous it’s really kind of interesting and complex than it seems. This excites me in some different ways and I look forward to seeing these characters next issue and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encountered this issue. The pacing here is superb! As it takes us through the pages introducing us to this world, these characters and the premise behind the story we are slowly drawn into this world of intrigue and abuse that has a powerful grip.

I am loving the way that we see this being structured as well as how the layers within the story emerge. There’s a great dynamic happening within the pages and with various characters that I cannot wait to see how they grow. The way that we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is beautifully done.

The interiors here are stunning. What can you say about Menton3’s work? The man is a bloody genius and the way we see his creativity and imagination come to life is both creepy as all hell and just as gorgeous! The way that we see the composition within the panels both with and without the use of backgrounds really does create the mood, tone and feel that the book needs. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows such a masters eye for storytelling. The colour work is equally as impressive. The choice of colours and how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows such an incredible understanding of the power colour has.

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I think that for me personally Heavy Metal Comics is fast approaching one of the few publishing houses that needs more recognition for the work they are doing. The range and diversity of the projects and the sheer amount of talent, skill and creativity of this book alone shows you exactly why they are currently carving out a big name for themselves. This is a must have publishing house in your pull list, trust me you’ll never be disappointed.