Xena: Blood & Shadows

Blood & Shadows
Story by John Wagner
Pencils by Davide Fabbri
Inks by Mark Heike
Letters by Steve Dutro
Colours by Dave McCaig

If You Go Down To The Woods
Story by Ian Edginton
Pencils by Mike Deodato, Jr.
Inks by Neil Nelson
Letters by Steve Dutro
Colours by Dave McCaig

The Magnificent Sven
Story by Ian Edginton
Pencils by Mike Deodato, Jr.
Inks by Neil Nelson
Letters by Steve Dutro
Colours by Colorgraphix Production

Published in the UK by Titan Books @ £10.99
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Gosh, where would we be without Xena?! Actually, where would Channel 5 be without Xena? Hmmmm… Not sure now. Anyway.

There is a degree of hope that the Buffy and Angel comic series' will develop along the same lines as Xena. The early issues of the Warrior Princess were a little rough in the plot department, and very rough in the art department. Now, this has changed.

Blood & Shadows is a collection of three stories. The first, and the one the collection is named after, takes place in Rome and sees Xena and Gabrielle rescuing some old friends who are about to be thrown to the lions in the Circus Maximus. Xena takes a huff and decides to bring down the greedy and callous sponsor of the games, magistrate Titus Domitian.

The story is a good, solid one, and the characters are well portrayed through decent dialogue. The art isn't exactly inspired, but it is consistent. That counts for a lot; read the Buffy stuff to see what I mean.

If You Go Down To The Woods reads like a short scenario a GM might run as a minor encounter for their players, or the forerunner of something more significant. The story sees Xena, Gabrielle and Amarice butting heads with an ancient deity in an equally primal forest. Your left with the feeling that more could have been made of the plotline, but that doesn't mean to say that more won't be done at a later date, so let's wait and see.

The art here has absolutely bang on likenesses, intense colours and Playboy meets Image fighting poses. The dialogue is absolutely in keeping with the series and is, therefor, a lot of fun. There's a nice dark edge to proceedings which makes for a satisfying, if light read.

The Magnificent Sven is also a lot of fun. Art and dialogue get the same marks as the previous story. In this, Xena and Gabrielle assist a Norse prince who was equally cursed and blessed with a very prim and proper mother from Albion who taught him everything he knows. Abandoned by his men (who call him the Prince of Wails) and hunted by his half-brother, Xena lends the man more than just a helping hand, leading to a punch line that raises a genuine laugh in the reader.

There is one delicious line which will be doubly funny in the UK, and involves the differing transatlantic use of a slang term for one's arse; buy this great book and gain yourself an bonus chuckle at the expense of our American cousins.

All in all great fun, really, and worth 8/10.

Review by Iain Lowson