Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus #4

Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus #4 

Story By: George Mann

Art By: Alan Quah

Release Date: 08/24/2016

Titan Comics has given us, Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus #4. A four part mini series set in the Dark Souls universe. These books have sparked in an interest in the series for me, and have started playing Dark Souls 2. Which I would rank high on your “need to play list.” I leave the ranking for our much more knowledgeable game reviewer Kevin Fenix. From Software, the gaming company has a great franchise on their hands, and I’m certainly glad they’ve opened the door for comic books. Biased as I may be, I think comic books are a natural fit for Dark Souls. With the issue four in the series, we’ve wound up the story of our two wanderers. The warrior and the sorcerer, are battling a curse, and their minds. Finding out where it leads is the reward for following the series.

George Mann writes a great tale, that’s mysterious, brooding, but a lot of fun. George paints a new tale for the Dark Souls, but keeps it true to the franchise. Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus #4, gives Mann a chance to tie his story up in a nice bow for his readers. Mann has stacked so much against Fira the main protagonist, its not the undead or trolls, its the mind tricks that the cursed land plays on her. Watching Fira work things out is part of the fun reading the books. George keeps it interesting till the end.

If I were writing Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus #4 and Titan Comics asked me to pick an artist to do the book. I would be a fool not to pick Alan Quah. His style certainly lends itself to the fantasy genre. Alan’s art is both fluid and fine, showing motion with a great amount of finesse. The other hero for this book is Komikaki Studios with Sean Lee. These people find a way to add so much color without over saturating the mood and tone of the book. One of the best pages that demonstrate their skill is the very first, that shows the visage of a smoky dragon with the sun’s rays peering through. The way they handle the color reminds me a lot of Thomas Kinkade.

I can shout the praises of these individuals all day, but the true gist of this review is that you need to read this series. If you haven’t read the others, well by all means buy the other three, read my other reviews here. Dark Souls: The Breath of Andolus #4 is a must buy. If you like seeing your protagonist in all kinds of peril, than this is your story. It’s void of current politics, trending topics, and repulsive pandering. This is the break you’ve been needing. Can’t afford Tahiti this summer? You can still afford and escape to the Crystal Labyrinth. One last note before I sign off here, this is a great read for young readers. Have someone consuming a hefty amounts of books from the young adult sections? This is a great opportunity to spark their interest in comics.