REVIEW: THE FIRST KINGDOM – VOLUME 3 – VENGEANCE / AUTHOR: JACK KATZ / ARTIST: JACK KATZ / PUBLISHER: TITAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Vengeance continues the epic First Kingdom series as created by Jack Katz. The story follows Tundran as he battles on against human and monstrous foes alike. However ,the heir to the First Kingdom is about to come up against forgotten secrets that are finally out there: could they prove just as threatening as any outlandish opponent?
The key strength of Vengeance, as with Katz’s other works, lies in the lavish, detailed black-and-white drawings that he uses to tell his story. Meanwhile, Katz is so succinct with his story and his characters that you give your attention to each one no matter how minor their role is within the story. But note, some nuances are likely to go over the heads of readers who have not encountered the previous two volumes of The First Kingdom.
So, to wrap things up Vengeance is a treat for anyone who is not only a Jack Katz fan but also a graphic novel fan; its elaborate story set in the distant future boasts such lush detail and a wide range of characters that comparison to Greek epics such as the Odyssey doesn’t seem over the top. But Vengeance is best experienced having read the first two volumes of The First Kingdom to ensure you are getting the most out of Katz’s work as possible.