Publisher: Dynamite Comics
Writer: Jim Butcher, Mark Powers
Artist: Carlos Gomez
Release Date: 4th June 2014

Harry Dresden in the pages of a comic? Yes Please! I know this isn’t the first time Dresden has been in comics but it’s my first time reading and hell’s bells is it good! Being a fan of the book series, it’s a nice change to see Dresden in a different media. It’s also nice seeing another person’s idea of what Dresden looks like and comparing it with the Dresden that lives in my imagination. Fans of the Dresden Files series of books and fans of fantasy/adventure comics alike would do themselves a favor by picking up this title and following our favorite unsung hero Harry Dresden wherever the story takes him.

I did some research and found out that this story takes place a few months after the events of book number 7 in the Dresden Files series. There is a war raging between the forces of the Red Court of Vampires and the Wizards of the White Council. Unfortunately for all of humanity, the White Council is losing the war. With the forces of the White Council dwindling they have to turn to desperate measures and bring in fresh recruits while relying on the one wizard they have been after for years, Harry Dresden. The story opens on a scene in Italy and fans of the book will recognize one of the characters mentioned Captain Luccio, holding back a horde of Red Court Vampires alongside other members of the White Council. Not only are they holding back Vampires but they have also employed the help of Outsiders, fans of the books will also remember these nasty creatures and just what horrors they are capable of.

Jim Butcher and Mark Powers do a fantastic job bring Dresden and his adventures, or misadventures however you choose to look at it, to life in comic form. Being a longtime fan of the books it’s refreshing to see a different medium and yet it holds true to the characters and situations we have grown over the numerous years to love about the Dresden Files. The pace set is right where it should be; the background for the story is set within the first few pages and then the story arc is set up well within the following pages. There’s action from page one and that tension and intensity hold true up until the very last panel. It’s a fantastic thrill ride filled with Wizards, Vampires and other monsters that grabs you from the start and leaves you wanting more at the end.

Carlos Gomez does and outstanding job bring Dresden to life. He may not be how I always pictured him in my mind, but in all honesty ever since Paul Blackthorne played him in the SyFy series, my idea of him has been kind of set. The artwork is very well done; landscapes and characters are detailed and take on a life of their own within the panels. And for Gomez to keep up with the pace set by Butcher and Powers is impressive. You’ve got action in just about every panel and the way Gomez illustrates them it’s as if watching the scene take place in full motion not just still frames.

Rating: 5/5.

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The writer of this piece was: Shane Hoffman (aka “Hoff”)
You can also find Hoff on Twitter.