Story: Michael Moorcock
Writer: Jérôme Le Gris
Artist: Benoît Dellac & Didier Poli
Colorist: Bruno Tatti
Letterer: Lauren Bowes
Publisher: Titan Comics
Hardcover Price: $19.99
Release Date: July 15, 2025
After scientists unlock the power of the atom, nuclear warfare ushers in a new Dark Age. But from the shadows of the Old World, a new one arises. Small kingdoms vie for power among their neighbors until a unifying force emerges. As the Romans who once planted their flag on Britain’s shores, the Granbretan Empire sweeps across the land like a relentless machine of conquest, harvesting small countries and devouring their captured resources to take over more.
What happens when Baron Meliadus leads imperial forces against the duchy of Köln? And how will Dorian Hawkmoon, the Duke of Köln, factor into the Baron’s insatiable bid for power? Let’s grab our swords, leap into Hawkmoon: The Black Jewel, and see!
Story
As a general of the Granbretan Empire, Baron Meliadus of Kroiden serves as the strong right arm of King-Emperor Huon. But he recognizes that it is one thing to take power, and another to hold it. So, the Baron sets his sights on gaining an advisor who has spent his life commanding armies and upholding smaller kingdoms.
When he visits the Duchy of Kamarg, Count Brass welcomes his esteemed visitor. Baron Meliadus seeks a peace treaty between the Empire and Kamarg. But Count Brass distrusts formal relations. Although he longs for a unified world, Count Brass has seen enough of international conflict and governments flawed by power-hungry leaders in Hawkmoon: The Black Jewel. Unlike his advisors, Count Brass doesn’t condemn the Granbretan Empire’s Human Rights abuses. Still, he prefers to keep Kamarg strong and fiercely independent.
Baron Meliadus didn’t get where he is by taking no for an answer. After Count Brass refuses to forge an accord with him, he seeks a way to gain power over the Count. His thoughts turn to Dorian Hawkmoon, who is now his prisoner. But the way the Baron conquered Köln doesn’t incline Hawkmoon to work with Meliadus either. So, the Baron consigns Hawkmoon to Baron Kalan’s care. He knows that Kalan, his chief scientist, can convince Hawkmoon to work for him.
In Hawkmoon: The Black Jewel, science and magic have merged into a powerful tool for rebuilding society. While a master of Magience, Baron Kalan admits that he still has much to learn. But he knows how to make Dorian Hawkmoon his puppet. By implanting a black stone in Hawkmoon’s forehead, Baron Kalan can see everything he does via his Magience Mirror. And if Baron Kalan sees the slightest disobedience, he can jerk Hawkmoon’s strings and force the Duke of Köln to dance in accordance with Baron Meliadus’ desires.
Art
In Benoît Dellac and Didier Poli's future world, cavalry clad in blood-splattered plate armor wield swords and lances. The knights carry shields and raise their heraldic flags as they charge past the burning buildings of Köln. Ornithopters fly above the elevated streets as Dorian Hawkmoon leads his troops toward a medieval cathedral.
After the battle, Baron Meladius visits the city of Aigues-Mortes, with its grand white and gold buildings topped by green domes. Inside the palace, Count Brass rests an arm on Lieutenant Von Villach's shoulder as he studies a mural charting the European world. As Meliadus, clad in his leather dress uniform, argues for unification, Councilor Bowgentle peers over glasses equipped with magnifying lenses and frowns in Hawkmoon: The Black Jewel.
Bruno Tatti portrays the dark empire's destruction of Köln with yellows, oranges, and brown. Vibrant greenery greets the bright, clear skies over the Kamarg, filling the city with radiance. But even more than Köln, the dark towers rise above Londra to pierce a brown sky. Green glowing windows fail to dispel the pervading darkness, while yellow streetlamps evoke spears. Instead of reclining in a plush apartment, Hawkmoon hangs from his wrists and lower legs in a windowed room filled with black and green.
Beige parchment banners locate us in time and space, while black uppercase letters in white balloons and boxes portray dialogue. The characters’ conversations grow bold with intonation. Words swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Sound effects heighten battles and arguments as Dorian Hawkmoon watches a device descend, clamp onto his forehead, and implant a stone in his bloodied forehead. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Once, Britain was a land ruled by warring tribes. Cities vied for dominance among their neighbors, and would-be kings struggled to unite the island through bloody conquest. Michael Moorcock charts the abuses of power that, over time, craft nations capable of compassionately addressing the needs of their citizens in his novel, The Jewel in the Skull. While drawing on the darker aspects of Moorcock's Elric saga, Jérôme Le Gris portrays Dorian Hawkmoon as a warrior fueled by anger and vengeance while adapting the early chapters of Michael Moorcock's novel in Hawkmoon: The Black Jewel.
Rating 9.2/10
To look inside see my preview of Hawkmoon: The Black Jewel.
No comments:
Post a Comment