Page 45 Review by Jonathan
"As (blood) brothers we can talk plain... right?"
"To be sure."
"I hear a voice in my head."
"HA HA! Hey... calm... I'm sorry... all right? Sit. Talk... please. What does it say this... voice?"
"It... she... tells me what to do in a race... in a fight. When I hear her I start to shake. The world twists and turns red before my eyes."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I haven't heard her since I came to Skye..."
This hefty tome collects all three volumes of Paul Bolger and Barry Devlin's homage to the legend of Cú Chulainn, and readers of the first will know exactly why that voice is absent and that it will most assuredly reprise once our hero Setanta returns from his exile and sets foot on the Emerald Isle. For as a young boy, Setanta was chosen by the Morrigan, a witch who follows the old ways of the Great Mother Danú, to be her weapon in the times of war to come. When Setanta left Ireland to attempt to gain access to the fighting school of the warrior women of Skye, that earth magic connection was temporarily broken.
The second volume follows his training on Skye where firm friendships are forged and blood bonds made, plus the hoopla regarding his arrival back in his homeland, where surprisingly he's actually hoping to eschew a life of violence. For despite all his martial prowess, deep down Setanta wishes for nothing more than to wed his childhood sweetheart and enjoy the quiet life as a farmer. However, before too long events and people are being manipulated wholesale by dark forces to force Setanta off his chosen path and back into blood-spattering battle once more. The Morrigan will have her way, and her champion, no matter the cost.
Of volume one I wrote...
This is definitely a very measured, romantic almost, re-telling of the material, which I think is highly appropriate. Yes, there are moments of utter brutality, and there will be many more in the next two volumes, but ultimately this is the saga of one man and his evolution from a mere boy into a potent symbol of a culture. It's appropriate therefore that the art is as delicately composed as the story-telling, in black and white with the odd dash of red, usually due to the spilling of blood or supernatural, glowing eyes. Sometimes there are heavily full or near-full silhouetted sections with black backgrounds where the characters are rendered in white, which neatly counterpoint the more typical illustrations of black on white.
The illustration style is quite delicate. Paul Bolger's faces and anatomy do remind me of Jeff Smith at times (humans à la RASL and TUKI, rather than the family BONE obviously!), yet there's also the odd dash of Paul Pope's extravagance and flourishes in the capes and backgrounds as well. It's a lovely clean style and palette which is in complete contrast to, say, Clint Langley's painted SLAINE, which is great and perfect for gorefest action, but this sympathetic art style really adds to the story-telling element.
The publisher writes:
"In 50 BCE, Morrigan, the goddess of war, has become restless as a long-lasting peace settles over Ireland. Deciding the time of peace must end, she chooses Setanta, the nephew of the king of the north, to become her ward. After a young Setanta slays the demon-hound of Cullan, he becomes known as Cú Cullan-The Hound of Cullan.
As Cú Cullan grows older, it is apparent that an extraordinary power lies within him . . . and a great darkness. When he chooses the quiet life of a farmer over the sword, Morrigan, angry at the betrayal, instigates an invasion of his homeland and Cú Cullan must challenge fate itself to keep the goddess at bay.
This exciting, ancient tale is retold for a contemporary audience by master storytellers Paul J. Bolger (Cool World, The Land Before Time, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!), Barry Devlin (Horslips: The Táin, U2: Making of Rattle & Hum, A Man of No Importance), and Dee Cunniffe (The Paybacks, Redneck)."
