To quote DC Comics for this title: “Thirty years ago, a fellowship of brave heroes traveled beyond the borders of creation and killed the last living god, saving the realm of Cain Anuun from the tyrant’s apocalyptic army of the undead. The legendary companions became the rules of their world and ushered in a new age of peace and prosperity. But it did not last.” Phillip Kennedy Johnson does not waste a single page. The pacing of the story, the amount of world-building that occurs, and believable dialogue pulls you in immediately. What’s more, they are building in prose backmatter that builds upon the world. It’s something you would expect as an appendix for Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, after the fact. Interestingly, they are already dedicating precious pages to this and an amazing map of the world they have created. This a strong first issue that shows they are very serious in building something special that makes you want more.

I’m in absolute awe that a title like this exists at DC Comics. Looking at the current DC landscape, if it isn’t superheroes then it’s something within the Sandman Universe. It is something that is so out of the blue for them and I am happy that it exists there. I don’t think a high fantasy title like this would show up under the defunct Vertigo imprint. If Black Label allows more unique works such as The Last God, then I am all for more Black Label titles.

The art in this book is sublime. Riccardo Federici is drawing an amazing world. Most impressive is his work on faces. They are distinct, expressive, and taught with emotion. This is not the type of thing you see everyday in comics. Sunny Gho and Dean White’s colors do an impressive job of bringing the pencils to life in a way that is befitting of something in the high fantasy genre. If you find yourself scratching for something to replace that Game of Thrones itch, this may be the very thing you are looking for and should be checked out right away.