Die #3 Review

Writer: Kieron Gillen / Artist: Stephanie Hans / Image Comics It is the first February New Comic Book Day of 2019 and I’m so hyped on Die #3 that I am entirely confident that by the time we get to the last New Comic Book Day of 2019 in December, I will still be singing praises of Gillen’s and Hans’ story. No author/artist duo needs to go so hard in the paint, but Gillen and Hans keep managing to outdo themselves and by the end of their opener triptych, the two have done three incredible things: 1) Create a darkly twisted fantasy horror story that stands alone on its own merit through both clever writing and breathtaking panels. 2) Added an incredibly complex layer of meta-analysis of tabletop roleplaying as it relates to both coming-of-age and escapism from the capitalist framework. 3) Act as a homage to different great fantasy stories, shining light on the intricate web between different source materials and our exposure to them.

There is so much going on in each issue of Die, and I devour the issue the moment it becomes available. Ash’s narration commands respect, but like their class of Dictator implies, it can be casually flippant before stopping on a goddamn die to note the sheer tragedy of the party’s circumstances. It is almost “unnatural” how easily it is become vested in Ash and her party as they circumstance navigate the strange icosahedron of a planet. I would even go so far to say that the first five pages alone are worth the price of admission. The opening monol…