Comic Review: Coda #3

Coda #3

BOOM! Studios

Writer: Simon Spurrier

Artist: Matias Bergara

Geralt… I mean, Hum returns to Ridgetown in hopes of getting back his ring that the mayor stole from him in the previous issue and to try and get some magic source before the town is razed by Thundervale, a bandit city that rests on the back of the last giant of the lands. That might sound a bit crazy so let’s dial back for a second.

If you are unfamiliar with the book, here’s a quick summary – Coda is a fantasy series set in a post-apocalyptic fantasy world. A cataclysmic event, known as ‘The Quench’, wiped out almost all magic from the world sometime before the start of the series. The book follows Sir Hum, a cynical ex-bard, who travels the Weird Wasteland with his mutant Unicorn in hopes of saving his wife Serka. It’s weird little mix of Mad Max and Lord of the Rings, with a dash of cynical comedy to it. It works perfectly.

The last issue promised a showdown between Ridgetown and Thundervale and this issue sure delivered on that promise. The majority of the book covers the fight and Matias Bergara does a decent job at drawing it. The art gets a bit chaotic at times, especially in enclosed spaces, but the vivid colors are a treat and the splashes of open spaces are gorgeous. The paneling allows for a really nice flow of the book, which is slowed down only by Hum’ numerous diary entries addressed to Serka. This has actually been the biggest gripe I’ve had with the series since the first issue – even though they offer some good world-building and add a lot of context to most of the events, they still affect the pace and flow of the book in a negative way. Hopefully, Spurrier will ease off on those because they may become a bigger problem in the future.

There is no shortage of surprises in this issue and the final splash leaves you anxious for next month. One thing Spurrier should try to work on, however, is the characters. Last issue’s Notch was a great character and I hope we will see more of her in the future, as well as some new characters that get the same treatment as she did. 

Spurrier and Bergara have managed to create a really interesting and fun world that I look forward to returning to it in the future. Hopefully, they are able to build on it and maintain a high level of quality.