Nomen Omen #14 // Review
Becky has her heart back. She’s back from the dead, and she knows who she is. The woman who killed her has turned into a dragon. Everything’s been revealed, and it’s about to get violent in the fourteenth issue of Nomen Omen. Writer Marco B. Bucci continues his story of the magic lurking around the corners of everyday life in another chapter brought to the page by artist Jacobo Camagni. Colorist Fabiola Ienne gently articulates dramatic complexities to the page to aid Camagni in bringing the fantastic to life. The story feels a bit overgrown with complexity in places, but Bucci, Camagni, and Ienne render some big, epic-feeling moments of action for the 14th issue.
Becky Kumar is in the Hazedance Clearing of Arcadia. She’s still dealing with the fact that she’s been dead. Naturally, she’s going to be more than a little bit confused about the situation. The good news is that she’s been awakened, and she’s well aware of who she is. The woman who killed her…Medea has taken the form of a dragon that’s in search of the strongholds of men. Becky is going to stare down that dragon, but she’s going to need some help.
The subtle details and plot points of Bucci’s story are interesting enough on their own. The convoluted politics of magic form a firm foundation for the story, but they’re not nearly as engaging as the passions that rest on top of them all. There’s narrative poetry in Becky’s journey as she moves into the path of a dragon in order to restore some sense of sanity now that she’s back from the dead. Some of the best dialogue in the issue fuses the sense of fantasy with the everyday reality of the people who are forced to deal with it.
In places, the fourteenth issue of the series has some of the most striking visuals to have hit the page so far. Camagni has drawn a great many fantastic things from the heart of Nomen Omen to the comics page. The sudden appearance of a dragon feels particularly impressive here; the raw, animalistic power of the creature seems to dwarf everything else on the page…and more than being merely big, Medea the dragon looks terrifyingly powerful…like the biggest magical apex predator imaginable. Ienne gives the green flesh of the dragon the depth it needs to feel that much more powerful. There’s some beautiful detail in the background color that Ienne is working with.
Bucci and Camagni pull the series into position for another major showdown next issue. With Becky now that much more in control of herself and her power, the next showdown could turn into something breathtaking. The overall plot arc of the series is a bit difficult to read as the story continues towards its inevitable conclusion, but it’s been a lot of fun seeing the creative team build the story into a series of showdowns like the one awaiting the page next month.
