The Sacrificers #13 // Review
They’re dragging him in captivity. He’s not exactly comfortable with the situation as he finds himself in the presence of those who are chanting. They refer to him as a coward. They refer to him as a pigeon. They’re underestimating him. This is exactly what he’s expecting...it’s exactly what he’s going to use against them. And then he’s going to go meet with someone who might want him dead in The Sacrificers #13. Writer Rick Remender continues a compelling political fantasy with the breathtaking work of artist André Lima Araújo and colorist Dave McCaig. It’s another interesting fusion of fantasy and political allegory as Remender and company continue their saga.
It isn’t the word “coward” that really moves him. It’s the word “pigeon.” They use that word and a couple of panels later, he’s tearing one of their arms out of its socket. Then things get really ugly. He’s upset about how he’s been treated, but he’s even more upset about the overall state of things. He’s going to confront one of those in charge. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be kind of dangerous for everyone involved. He doesn’t have much of a choice, though. Sometime power will only listen when it’s matched with equal and unexpected power...
Remender might be getting a BIT heavy-handed with the politics in the series. The showdown between one person representing the downtrodden and another who is exploiting them...it’s all a bit much, but only a BIT. Remender is able to frame the central conflict of the issue in a way that feels more than intense enough to justify the stark simplicity of the political themes he’s exploring. It all hits the page with great power that feels more or less perfectly balanced as Remender ramps-up to the next big showdown.
Araújo manages to find the right angles for all of the action. Everything seems to be framed and angled in just the right way to amplify the impact of it all. Raw aggression and explosive rage feels perfectly transferred from script to page. Araújo does some fascinating work directing the drama of the aggression on the page by amplifying some moments over others. Araújo doesn’t always make the most obvious choices. An arm is torn out of its socket and it doesn’t register the same intensity on the page as a much less consequential kick a page or so later. A massive piece of machinery si jammed to reveal the sudden appearance of a protagonist and it isn’t given as much impact on the page as an angry punch a couple of pages later.
Remender’s framing of the drama appropriately amplifies everything. It might feel a bit strange in places, but it manages to make its impact quite well. Everything seems so perfectly [placed on the page that it feels like it could almost fall apart if even one line was out of place. It’sbeen very delicate and intricate work throughout the series, but the thirteenth issue has some particularly delicate elements of the story.
