Don't Underestimate An Aging Warrior (Crone #1 Review)
Updated: Jan 25, 2020
CRONE #1
Writer: Dennis Culver
Artist: Justin Greenwood
Colorist: Brad Simpson
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Dark Horse
Rating: 8/10
The tale of aging warriors isnt a new idea by any means, but when I first learned of this new series from Dark Horse it caught my eye. For the past few months they've been putting out some great new titles, quietly wowing comic book fans. Well I'm here to tell you that they've done it again. Dennis Culver and Justin Greenwood have crafted a tale of,The Sword Saviour and Champion of Men who was once known as Bloody Bliss. Think Red Sonja meets Xena: Warrior Princess. Only now she is nothing more than a reclusive old woman, yet still has a little of that fire raging inside her. You sold on it yet?? You should be! Ok let's dive into the story.
So the book starts of in the past, before Bliss became the isolated "crone". She's one of them most feared warriors in Titanspine. With the land overtaken by D'Kayde and his army she has taken the battle to his doorstep. Like most warriors she only feels truly alive in the heat of battle. So when we cut to her in the present day she's an old woman that has secluded herself in the mountains.
As a group of people seek her out they are attacked by a huge grizzly bear. Bliss enters the fray but makes quick work of the beast. But as you can see she seems somewhat disappointed. She almost seems like she has a death wish, which is completely in line with a character of her nature. After making quick work of the bear, she realizes that she knows one of these villagers from her fighting days. And just like classic films, such as Unforgiven, she gets dragged back into a battle/fight she wants no part of. D'Kayde has returned and these villagers think Bliss is there only hope. Which with the way she handled that bear, it's clear this old warrior has still got a lot of fight in her.
The story while not completely fresh was one of the more entertaining debuts in recent months. Also the spin on it being a female warrior as opposed to a man was the reason I really enjoyed the book. Not to mention the art by Justin Greenwood was great. From the action packed to scenes to the expert facial expressions, this was a beautifully illustrated book. I'm excited to check out the next chapter and see where Bliss' story goes from here. I definitely reccomend this to fans of Red Sonja, Conan, and Xena.