Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Steve Niles, Matt Santoro
Artist: Dave Wachter
Release Date: 26th February 2014

Once again we had two members of our review team eager to tackle the same title, so cooler heads prevailed as we decided that – rather than having them battle to the death in some sort of pit for our amusement – we would let them both take a stab at it.  Here’s what they had to say;

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Chris Says…

At first glance, this is not a happy book, but it is a beautiful one. Here, Steve Niles has crested a story that is all about a small village in the middle of the second World War. Now I can only assume that its not based on a true story, however it is very similar to what did happen in real life, The German Army really did trample all that was in its path and grown men from villages were taken from their homes to fight. Niles has done a perfect job of showing the bond between a child and its grandparents, and it makes the story less heartbreaking when you think that at its roots, its a story about believing in something and the things people can do under the darkest of circumstances.

Dave Wachter deserves some sort of medal for this book, as it is – simply put – beautiful. Even in a stark greyscale, the expressiveness of characters and the design of it all brings Niles’ story to life in a way that seems so natural. It’s interesting to read at the back of the book about the decisions that were made on the design of the Golem and the reason it looks the way it did. Almost every page in the latter half of the book could be a piece of art on a wall, even if the subject matter is harrowing at times.

This collected edition was fantastic, and a great addition to anyone’s collection if they are fans on either war stories/horror/redemption, or just have any amount of common sense.

Rating: 5/5.

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Jules Says…

Breathing new life into an old tale, Steve Niles’ Breath Of Bones is a stunning interpretation of The Golem legend.

Set during World War 2, the story sees a small village which has seen all it’s men leave to go to war, on the verge of being invaded by the Nazis, leaving an old man and his grandson as their last hope. Using ancient knowledge, the villagers are brought together to raise a Golem from the earth to protect them from certain death.

Niles and co-writer Matt Santoro vividly bring the characters to life, establishing a believable and affecting relationship between the grandfather and the child. The desperation of the situation carries a real sense of dread, slowly building until the eventual appearance of both the Nazis and The Golem, which doesn’t occur until quite late in the story.

The real standout though is the beautiful art of Dave Wachter. His gorgeous black and white pages are simply stunning to look at. Whether on the heavy amount of emotionally-charged dialogue or the eventual action scenes, Wachter is phenomenal, both in terms of design and storytelling.

Exceptional in every way, this is a real gem of a comic.

Rating: 5/5.

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INTERIOR ARTWORK PREVIEW
(Click image to view full page)

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