Written by OBS Staff Member Rose
OBS GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES
Written by Dwight L. MacPherson and published by Arcana Comics in 2008, Dead Men Tell No Tales boldy goes where few Graphic Novels do…to the land of pirates.
A little background:
MacPherson has had a fascination with pirates since he first read ‘Treasure Island’ at nine years old. Throughout his life he has collected a large amount of pirate literature, which eventually led him to writing the pirate epic, which encompasses 12 issues.
After many rejections, Arcana Comics picked up the tale and the rest is pirate history.
Synopsis: In the golden age of piracy, Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, and Black Bart Roberts, the three most reviled pirates in history, contend for the most sacred prize the world has ever known – the lost Relics of Christ! This absolute edition collects the entire sold-out series hailed by critics and fans alike as ‘Pirates of the Caribbean meets Indiana Jones.’ Featuring a cover illustration by Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night).
Review: The year is 1719. While plundering ships in the seven seas, Captain Kidd with his loyal shipmate Tobias Kibble, find an iron chest. Within its contents is a map that will change their lives forever.
The story then shifts to the present day…and Edward Teach aka Blackbeard arrives at Kibble’s home. Blackbeard kills Kibble and steals the map. It seems the something is quite amiss when Kibble gets up…cheating death.
This supernatural story is told through the eyes of each captain’s shipmate. While at first I was captivated, I became confused with which captain was who and which storyline I was following. I believe this to be because the rendering didn’t quite differentiate each captain distinctly enough and after the first two chapters, the story lines jump from one to the next.
However, this did not deter me from enjoying the book. Instead of pure zombie mayhem, (albeit it is chock full of death) the story is more of a psychological thriller, of greed and betrayal and the journey the men go through to obtain this ancient treasure of The Holy Grail.
The renderings are gritty and moody, which reflect the story very well and my favorite is the last few back pages, with full page creepy pirate art and zombie madness.
While this tale will not be for everyone, true pirate fans and walking dead enthusiasts will enjoy what MacPherson has done with this tale. It certainly is a fun read. ARGH!
