Lady Death: A Medieval Tale #3
Review by Dindrane
Story:
Art:

Written by Brian Pulido
Pencils by Ivan Reis
Inks by Marc Campos
Colors by Chris Blythe
Lettered by Oscar Gongora

Published by CrossGeneration Entertainment
Price: $2.95

My Verdict: Get it, love it, memorize it.

This issue of Lady Death opens with the Greelum returning to the Underlands, having been defeated by Lady Death, but with intelligence about her for their dark lords. They return amid a festival of sorts, visually rich with hundreds of Unseelie characters and monsters. The Eldritch Lord Gara is most intrigued by the appearance of a creature like Lady Death, both Eldritch and Human, and this plays into the hands of those who want a change of regime. Tvarus could easily be ousted were it known that he had fathered such a half-breed. Meanwhile, Tvarus gives his secret daughter a gift, but Obsidia, spying upon him with her magic, sees this and is disgusted. Her father’s gift comes just in time, however, as Hope must face more of Wolfram’s former comrades or lose her life.

Again, this issue proves a most interesting new view of the Lady Death universe. Fans of the old saga might be disappointed to see Hell turned to the Underworld of the dark fey, but open-minded readers will like what Pulido has done with this incarnation of Hope (no pun intended). As someone who loved the other version of Lady Death, I can assure you that this version is just as interesting, just as powerful, and maybe even cooler.

The art in this title is exceptional. Lady Death has always been a wonderful character to look at and probably a fun one to draw with her black leather, skulls, and flowing white hair, but this incarnation plays up the medieval elements and makes the result more forbidding and darkly lovely than before. Trading the evil lights of Hell for the sinister, yet delicate beauty of the Eldritch lands, this version of Lady Death is a fitting and even superior version of the old, beloved Lady Death.

Overall, if you like the idea of a half-human, half-fey fighting with the politics and cultures of both halves of her soul, then you should really love Lady Death. Less about the Judeo-Christian Hell and more about the hells we create for ourselves and those different from us on this earth, this title is a wonderful look at how prejudice can poison us and damn us even more surely than any God could.