Now entering the third part of the new arc, Die continues to go headlong into some very interesting territory, as the party is split both finding a way to restore a lost child and trying to prevent the merging and likely destruction of both the world of Die and the real world, which seems like it might be a bad thing. With Ash having a very interesting and potentially dangerous conversation with a version of famed author HG Wells, the group of Chuck, Matt, and Angela take a trip to see some beings that could potentially assist Angela with returning her daughter to life, after being trapped inside the world of Die and becoming a member of the Fallen. It’s complex times in a complex world, as the group plays a complex game of trying to escape the world of Die while also trying to save it.

This story is progessing in some very interesting and dark ways – ways that also feel very true to the times. Our adventuring party is anything but beacons of light in a place devoid of it, but there is something heartwarming to see this group of “heroes” trying to do their best to save a world that is constantly trying to kill them, even if part of that reasoning is to save the world they’re trying to get back home to. I have no idea where this series is going, but as the world of Die continues to expand, it will be very interesting to see how it all ties in, especially since this setting is perfect for the companion tabletop RPG that is based on this series.

There’s something about the imminent threat of doom that feels familiar in a current landscape that is full of potential pitfalls and problems. As the world continues to be rocked and recovers from the punches that life has thrown at us, it can be cathartic to see a series that is both for pleasure and for recognizance, seeing ourselves and our struggles in it and while using it as a way to be escape those struggles, even temporarily.

This feels like a very Kieron Gillen thing to do, wrapping allegory and expression around something so very fictional. Using a world within a world to explore his own views. I may be reading too much into it, but this book has the weight of quite a bit of history and emotion to it, something I feel like Gillen is very adept at.

Stephanie Hans is all forms of brilliant in this series. Her work is very powerful and provoking, giving it a level of emotion that I think is really needed in what has been described as “Goth Jumanji.” Everything is magical and terrible, beautiful and scary, with colors both bright and muted all at once. Using a painted style makes it look all the more interesting, as it’s something that only a few select artists seem to use, but one that always makes a book look so much more interesting.

This series is going to continue in some wild directions, and I can’t wait to see more. I also can’t wait to see how this lore can be folded into the tabletop version of the series, because the system is very fascinating. Each layer of this series in each medium seems to have so much to it, much of which we don’t yet know. It’ll be interesting to find out where it goes next.

Creators: Kieron Gillen (writer), Stephanie Hans (artist), Clayton Cowles (letters)
Publisher: Image Comics
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