Pop Mythology Pop Mythology: Movie, Book, Comic reviews & commentary
If you appreciate quality storytelling, recognize superior art and just simply seeing extraordinary talent in action, then these might be a few reasons why you need to read Shame: Redemption (Vol. 3 of 3) from Renegade Arts Entertainment.
Bringing this allegorical fantasy to a rich and thrilling conclusion, this is an adventure that illustrates the power of compassion and the capacity to defend against vice. Mother Virtue (for who she is, check out our Vol. 1 and 2 review) is transformed in body into simply Virtue in this part of the tale, yet her sense of serenity and faith are undiminished in the presence of Slur and their daughter, Shame, a child of corruption. Virtue is a character who shows us the unassailable power of integrity that remains constant – a testament to the inherent goodness that is within all of humanity.
John Bolton’s painted work is so dynamically realistic that it manages to accurately present the mean state of Virtue’s imprisonment yet also simultaneously achieve an elevated dimension of high fantasy. It is simply stunningly mythological in scope yet is able to connect to its audience on a visceral, human level. In short, it is simply beauty incarnate – visual poetry – and is a joy to appreciate.
Bolton is a master artist whose preference for painted work outshines much of the contemporary comic art out there. It is clearly a painstaking process that requires great skill and patience. Still, the rewards of the effort are clearly apparent. There is a sense of inherent quality that makes you want to pause and simply ponder the images on the page instead of simply racing through the story.
Lovern Kindzierski deserves a great deal of credit for his deeply magical storytelling. It reaches his readers in a way that compliments the visual wonderment of Bolton’s art. The two go hand in hand; while Bolton depicts the scene and the characters, Kindzierski’s dialogue reinforces the magical nature of the fantasy and weaves a spell on us. When Shame addresses Slur as her “feculent father” or “minacious pater”, we are granted unique insight into both their characters and relationships as pawn and player. Kindzierski’s use of elevated language not only describes to us the nature of their twisted and corrupt relationship but also bestows upon it a sense of calculation and diabolical genius. Shame and Slur are true master villains who are both possessed of a great sense of occult mastery and evil.
Todd Klein’s lettering is superb; obviously schooled by masters (like Tom Orzechowski). Klein’s letters match the tone of the story. His lettering for Slur fits his character perfectly and is a wonderful accent to the book. We can easily imagine what the infernal creature’s voice must sound like.
Shame: Redemption is a work of singular quality. The emphasis in this book is superior storytelling and craftsmanship at its finest. We are entranced by its beauty and bewitched by its words. Quality and craftsmanship are always the best editing choices to make when assembling a story, but they are also better appreciated when read.
This is a superb fantasy in its highest form yet readily accessible in comic format. Quality storytelling in comic book format is something to be appreciated and every library needs a masterpiece like this to treasure.
