A Sense of Doubt blog post #4038 - DIE: LOADED - REVIEWS - Comic Book Sunday 2603.08Die is back!
I am so thrilled.
The issues have jumped up my reading stack each month because this is GOOD STUFF.
Though I am reading Gillen's Power Fantasy in trades, I had to get DIE: LOADED in the individual single issues.
I have written about
DIE many times. Here's three of the most relevant posts.
Friday, December 21, 2018
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Sunday, September 20, 2020
I love
Die so much that I bought the individual issues of the first series, then the trade paperbacks, and then the hardcover omnibus.
I am on a book buying freeze right now, but I am barely holding myself back from buying the DIE: RPG, which I want very badly, even though I have no one to play it with.
Four issues are out so far, though I do not have the fourth one yet.
I am just going to focus on the first issue for now.
The lowest score from the critics was a 9/10 and in just one of the seven reviews. There were two 10/10, one of which I am reprinting below.
From the introduction of the original series, I loved the idea of this book. Re-imagining the D&D character classes and situations of fantasy RPGs was a brilliant idea. Whisking away players from our world into that fantasy world was a borrowed trope from the 1980s Dungeons and Dragons TV cartoon, but one that Gillen and Hans adapted brilliantly.
But we knew at the end of the first series that a great deal of the world of DIE had not been explored and that it still existed. The characters were tied to it, and so more story seemed inevitable. Plus, Gillen indicated this intention in his newsletters.
For me, enjoyment of stories, especially episodic stories, has to do with investment in the characters. I am sure many others readers share this reason for reading. Once invested, I am usually loyal to a story even if there are flaws or aspects I do not like. With Gillen, I rarely feel there are flaws, though there are sometimes things of which I am not over fond. But despite those personal tastes, I am invested in the characters, and so I am ALL IN to borrow DC's current tag line.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!
If you are possibly going to read this series, and don't want spoilers, stop now.
And so, with great delight, I open the new issue of DIE:LOADED #001 to see Ash, the narrator, at home in Stafford, on earth in his baby's room.
One aspect of Gillen's work that I love is the natural and careful recap or basic information for new readers. Sure, new readers could jump in here, but they would be better served with reading the twenty issues of the previous run before embarking here. Names are dropped to know the players involved as we did not have much exposure to Ash's wife Sophia in the original issues, and she makes her appearance on page two since she's the new narrator and the main character of this issue once she leaves Ash behind for the world of DIE. There's the standard mini re-cap before the story actually begins, but there's no "formerly in DIE" story-specific recap. It's difficult to say that this issue is really meant for new readers. As a skilled writer, Gillen writes a clear story that new readers could follow but much of the back story is only hinted at or alluded to in cryptic remarks.
For readers of the original story, there are many aspects of this continuation that will fascinate and enthrall.
The biggest of these differences are the characters themselves. The original six are not returning. We will follow the adventures of six new characters. In the original first issue, all six characters gathered together to play Sol's game, and we were introduced to them. They were all gamers or at least people recruited to play the game, like Isabelle who was there because she was dating Sol or Angela, Ash's sister, who begged to come along and Ash relented, much to his deep regret later. This time, at least so far, the characters are not gamers and were not playing the game although we do not know who all six are yet. I have read three issues as I write this review, so I do have some advance knowledge but really of only one additional character, Sol's mom, Margaret. Sophia will meet the other adventurer, Angela's daughter Molly, at the end of this issue. Beyond that, we don't know who the other three characters will be or if they are featured in this first issue before the journey to DIE as are Sophia, Molly, and Margaret. However, it the pattern persists each new character will have a connection to one of the former characters as Sophia is Ash's wife, Molly is Angela's daughter, and Margaret is Sol's mom, which means the possibly Chuck's son, shown playing a Nintendo Switch, might show up though making him the fool would be rather predictable. An alternative might be Chuck's wife, Fiona, who is shown giving a toast or even his older daughter Violet, whom Ash said he knew best. Also, We see Matt's father and new wife, whom Ash and Sophia do not meet, which may be foreshadowing, but they are both older even than Margaret. As for Izzy, she shows up in the story (more on that in a minute), but we know very little about her and so very little of whom she's close to.
And so, a complete change of the core of the book with new characters and so far non-gamers, which is inventive and opens many possibilities.
Another great thing about Gillen's writing is how he sets a theme and works that theme through the comic or even an entire story arc. Here the theme is playing roles, which is what people do in ROLE-playing games, obv. Gillen drops the theme on page two (seen below): "everything is a role for me. Right now, I play it and play it as well as I can," Ash narrates. He also alludes to his "gender bullshit" as in DIE he is Lady Ash, female and heterosexual (interested in men) and on earth he's male, actually Dominic Ash, and married to Sophia and a father to their child, born when he was last in DIE, letting us know that this story takes place shortly after his return as his baby is still a baby. The "gender bullshit" is unresolved as Ash explains that he and Sophia discussed it and in response to her question of "what do you want to do?" Ash said, "Oh, I wish I fucking knew." This is great character development. It fits well with what we know of Ash, and it leaves open the question of further resolution of this "gender bullshit."
Gillen loops us back to the "role" theme in the very last panel when new narrator Sophia tells us "I have to the responsible one. That's a role I can play."
But how do we get there?
The story opens on Ash and Sophia saying goodbye to their babysitter for their first outing since Covid began to attend Chuck's Memorial Service. This event allows Gillen to recap a little as Chuck's corpse shows up on earth six months before the rest of the characters return, which strengthened their kidnapping story. Actually, kidnapped again, as the DIE comic is about their return to the world of DIE twenty-five years later. Ash's history recap merges into a look around the service and identifying members of Chuck's family. Along the way, a great deal of commentary from Ash, which both makes him a great narrator and Gillen a great writer, such as "I was scared to have kids. I left it until was nearly too late. How could he (Chuck) leave so many behind?"
In the wake after the service, Ash connects with Matt, and we see his Dad and wife, Megan, though no one meets Megan, which may be a hint. Though Matt also has two kids, which he talks about. Then Molly is introduced as she makes a scene: "WHY IS EVERYONE BEING SO FUCKING NICE ABOUT THIS ASSHOLE?" This moment also allows Gillen to remind invested readers and inform new ones that Molly was seen dead in DIE when Ash and the others were last there. And then, Ash and Sol have a chat as Sol's Mom departs, though not before Ash comments that she was always "Sol's mum" not "Margaret": roles.
And so, Sol tells Ash that he is going to publish "the game," which is what the world of DIE wants him to do to lure people there, and Ash loses it: "do you think that changes anything you selfish cunt?!?" I am not sure if I have ever read the use of "cunt" in a comic before. I am sure it's not the first time, but I cannot think of another. Sophia pulls Ash away, and they leave but not before taking their gifts from Chuck's estate. Ash opens his when he gets home -- a miniature for gaming that looks significant but I can't place it -- and Ash laughs, breaking the tension of the previous scene, just before Sophia, in the other room, announces that hers is "one of those nerd dice." And she's gone, and Ash is too late to save her.
And now the narrator switches to Sophia, in the world of DIE, the Realm of One.
And there's a voice helping her, someone from the original six, and it makes sense for it to be Izzy though that's not revealed until next issue.
Quickly, Sophia realizes that she is where Ash and the others went, the big mystery that they could never talk about, quite literally during the twenty-five years between the first and second visits due to a binding spell, a geas. We soon discover that Sophia will be just as engaging a narrator as Ash. She processes what's happening, remembers giving birth to Stuart and makes a comparison to her current situation, which is timely as the Fallen who threaten her say "Life, you have life inside, take it, cut it out." Now, this comment may only be because she's ALIVE, but it may also allude to the fact that she is pregnant and doesn't know.
The voice guides Sophia to get the die that brought her here and to pick her deity as the Godbinder of this game, which is the biggest clue of all that the voice is Izzy. And so she picks the Bear and a fox as her "totem," her "animal aspect" explained next issue in back matter for playing this deity in the DIE RPG. The fox connects to her past in a memory that is shared as she considers. She's transformed in a way that leads us to believe that these people will be enhanced to better face the dangers of DIE.
The Bear informs Sophia that to leave DIE they have to bring the "pack" together and say "the game is over" and mean it. He offers to do that for her, bring them, but "the debt will be significant." Sophia is smart enough to decline that offer. And then something with magpies, which I assume we will learn later.
And then Molly, who is a Rage Knight shows up, kills the foes. Sophia (Sophie) pledges to get them home.
That's a great first issue and brilliantly rendered with two narrators and the signature stunning art of Stephanie Hans and letters by Clayton Cowles.
And yes, as a reviewer I am always more focused on writing and story because that's my wheelhouse. I love the art, but I feel less qualified to comment on it beyond praise.
What's disappointing is the comments of readers, like "it would be a great TV show" or "I like that part, a lot like a video game." Sigh. Looks like the user reviews on ROUND UP were tanked by a single 1/10 rating by some moron. I hope to counteract that with my own.
In summary, the original DIE series subverted expectations with in-depth characterization, novel plot twists while deconstructing role-playing games. This new series looks to continue that trend with a new narrator and a new cast of characters and greater mystery as the end goal is unknown this time compared to last. Gillen's writing is sharper than ever and he thematically unifies the issue around the idea of "roles" outside of games as well as within them. Hans' art is a revelation, even more mature and moody than the first time around. Unequivocal, 10/10 and eager for more! Bring it on.
One of the 10/10 reviews below.
Thanks for tuning in.
https://comic-watch.com/comic-book-reviews/die-loaded-1-dad-of-boyReview
When DIE, the comic series following a group people trapped Jumanji-style in a TTRPG fantasy world, came to an end in 2021, it seemed final. Both DIE’s players and its readers alike were returned to the real world. So when the 2022 hardcover omnibus loudly pronounced “Book One” on its spine, I approached those words with the trepidation of a spooked horse and the fevered hope of a conspiracy theorist. Now, two-and-a-half years later, I’m here to shout from my nearest available rooftop: “DIE BOOK TWO IS HERE! IT’S REAL! IT’S VERY, VERY GOOD!”
DIE has always been about escapism, mortality, and the simple truth that sometimes escapism leads to missing out on the important parts of life worth being present for. DIE’s creators — writer Kieron Gillen, artist Stéphanie Hans, and letterer Clayton Cowles — are now setting out to explore how these themes relate to parenthood. The 2010s saw a surge of video games that put players in the role of dads protecting children against dangerous landscapes. In some cases, these dads were new to the scene, like The Last of Us’ Joel, who must protect a teenage girl named Ellie years after the loss of his own daughter. Other times, these characters were decades old, like Kratos from the God of War series, given a son named Atreus in the eponymous 2022 game often jokingly referred to as Dad of Boy. While on the surface it may seem strange that suddenly all of gaming’s protagonists were becoming dads and adoptive dads, the reason for it was quite simple: game developers were growing up and having kids of their own. Frequent and perhaps infrequent readers of Gillen’s newsletter will likely be aware that this is a recent reality shift for DIE’s writer, too.
And parenthood can be plenty terrifying even when Norse gods (God of War), fungal parasitic zombie plagues (The Last of Us), or deadly fantasy TTRPGs aren’t involved. “No one had warned me that with a child comes death,” writes Claudia Dey in her 2018 Paris Review essay “Mothers as Makers of Death”: “Death slinks into your mind. It circles your growing body, and once your child has left it, death circles him too.” Therein lies the horror of DIE: Loaded.
One may argue that more broadly it’s a story about the horrors of creating something—a child, a game—and putting it into the world. In the interim between DIE and DIE: Loaded, Gillen and Hans published DIE: The TTRPG (or DIE: the very pretty art book if you’re unable to play it). In a plot beat so meta it’s headache-inducing, Sol — Ash’s friend who was trapped in Die for twenty years — has excitedly told Ash about his plans to publish DIE: The TTRPG. The comic’s mid-arc twist and escalation, meanwhile, are quite surprising — albeit more surprising if you didn’t read last week’s Polygon exclusive first.
Hans continues to be a master of her craft as the book progresses from the sickening greens, sterile blues, and warm orange light of the real world and leaves them behind for the vivid and dizzying world of Die. Hans’ characters are always intimately expressive and character designs within the fantasy world are striking. Several years ago, director Guillermo Del Toro coined the term “eye protein” as a contrasting term to “eye candy”: where eye candy only offers something pretty to look at, eye protein also leaves you with something to chew on. Hans’ work is eye protein. Every time I go back through the pages of DIE: Loaded #1—or older issues of DIE, We Called Them Giants, Journey Into Mystery #645 for that matter—I find myself appreciating some detail of her work I’d previously missed.
At this point, you may be thinking I’ve left you with absolutely nothing new to discover or ponder for yourself. In truth, I feel I’ve only scratched the surface. Reading DIE: Loaded #1, it’s hard not to be struck by the density of its storytelling when compared to comics of the same length—often at a higher price point. It’s like realising Casablanca, widely considered one of the best films of all time, is only two minutes longer than The Room, widely considered one of the worst. I can confidently say that DIE: Loaded #1 is firmly on the Casablanca end of the spectrum.
Final Thoughts
DIE: Loaded #1 is a contemplative and dazzling meditation on parenthood, creation, and mortality from one of comics’ dream teams.
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2603.08 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3902 days ago & DAD = 556 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
