“This hasn’t cost us anything but time.”
Keep reading for a review of Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans’ Die #14.
Small spoilers below, though I’m trying to avoid as many as possible, but I am going to hint at some things so it’d be better to read the issue first.
So, where to start. The Party is split, but if I understand correctly, both halves are on parallel paths, trying to accomplish something similar: fix everything. (Either the timeline that will eventually loop back and suck them into Die in the first place, or the fact that Eternal Prussia is going to take over / destroy the world.) They all want to go home, but they’re both going about it from different ends.
I liked how Ash, who’s used her powers to seduce/control Zamorna, is realizing she can’t feel too sorry for him. Yes, having sex with him would basically be rape, since he can’t give consent when he’s controlled. But also, it’s like the advice I heard years ago: bad things happen to good people, but bad things also happen to assholes, and that doesn’t automatically make them good people. No, she can’t have sex with him, but Zamorna is not to be trusted, no matter what.
I also liked how we got the tiniest look into Ash’s past, or Dominic as he’s called in the “real” world. It sounds like so much of why he chose to be Ash in the first place is based on things that happened when he was much younger, I wonder how much more of that we’ll get to hear.
Meanwhile Angela and Matt talk about their dads (while Chuck mocks them because he’d rather do anything than come face to face with the fact that he is peeing blood and will probably die soon, but maybe not as soon as he’d like.) Angela is regretting every choice that might have led her daughter to be a zombie here in Die, and Matt is just missing his family.
I don’t think it’s oversimplifying to say that Matt is by far the nicest one in the Party. He’s not trying to fix his mistakes or take control or get revenge or screw anyone over. He just wants to go home. Nice guy, that Matt. Be a shame if something were to happen to him.
And can I just say how much I love that Kieron fully embraces the type of author he is? In the author’s notes at the end of the issue he mentions how he’s currently running a contest where you can submit your Die-themed character creation, however you want (digital art, collage, cosplay, you name it) and if he picks it they will include your character in a future issue of Die, with the caveat that he will do something awful to them. The beauty and prestige of a Stephanie-Hans-drawn character that you created, utterly destroyed by whatever Kieron does to them. That’s just brilliantly mean, I love it.
Speaking of Stephanie Hans’ art, once again it’s hard to pick a favorite panel. I liked the Steel Dragons high up in the clouds, our first look at the Forge, Chuck when he says “I dunno about you, Matt…”, Ash when she says “I owe you for lots of reasons,” Matt when he says “make me sad, not pissed off with you,” all the images of Mistress Woe smirking at everything, and the shocked look on Izzy’s face. Of course someone has a meltdown this issue (someone always does in this series, am I right? Lot of emotions going around) and the images of that and what followed were just gorgeous.
