Comic Review: Coda #4

Coda #4

BOOM! Studios

Writer: Simon Spurrier

Artist: Matias Bergara

The issue starts with Sir Hum, our ex-bard protagonist, telling the story about the Quench – the cataclysmic event that shaped the Weird Wasteland. He sings about the holocaust horde – a bloodthirsty race known as the Ukren. Withlords manipulated them into destroying magic, promising them a post-cataclysmic paradise. Many opposed them, but the Urken marched patiently, dreaming of their promised paradise. At the Last War, mages en masse flung spells in the hope of finally stopping the Urken. And that is when reality snapped, and everything changed; thus starting the Quench.

The Urken were stunned, as this was no paradise – it was now a world without magic. They realized they had been lied to, used as pawns by the Withlords. But the world continued to live on. The Urken decided to live a life without masters, but not all were able to do that. Some of them were forever changed by the Red Rage. One of this Urken is Serka, Hum’s beloved life. She has dedicated her life to atone for her sins, but her demon is always lurking, waiting to take over and launch her into a frenzy.

What’s Good

That is the opening sequence of the issue – a song spanning four really dense pages of quality world-building. The Weird Wasteland has been a really interesting place so far, and this only adds flair to it. The war that is described is not the most original idea per se, but the end result is a really entertaining setup.

Aside from the world building, Spurrier dedicates a big chunk of the issue to flesh out Serka, Hum’s wife. The twist about her… “condition” is really surprising; in a good way, of course. The first couple of issues led us to believe that she was somehow trapped in Hell or something similar. While that, in a way, remains true, it’s quite refreshing to see that it’s not really the case. She is, in fact, a really strong individual and I look forward to her future development. 

Bergara’s art has really grown on me since the series launched. His stylised line work, with help from the colouring (with assistant colourist Michael Doig), perfectly conveys the mix of medieval fantasy and post-apocalyptic setting Spurrier is going for. The opening sequence is somewhat different in style though. It’s more akin to a sketch, and the usually vibrant and high-contrast colouring is replaced by a more subdued, sepia palette. It works really well, especially from a narrative point of view.

What’s Bad

The issue is really stuffed, to the point where it left me slightly confused as to what was happening. There is a lot of world building and character exposition in this issue, which is always a good thing as far as I’m concerned, especially when it’s executed this well. However, the team tried to really push the story forward, which left most of the plot points feeling rushed.

Also, not enough swearing-mutant-Unicorn.

Verdict

With Coda, Spurrier and Bergara continue to build a fascinating world filled with really interesting characters and foul-mouthed unicorns. There are some hiccups here and there, but nothing deal-breaking. It’s a fun read with a promising future.