Writer: Laurent Valles Jr.
Artist: UJ Chen
Publisher: Self-Published
WHAT IS IT?
A supernatural action/comedy featuring a wisecracking protagonist.
Think The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Inuyasha.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
(Minor spoilers)
Linguistics major Mei is given the challenge to decipher an unfamiliar language from one of her university’s librarians. Unable to figure it out, she begins to head home, but is attacked by a man who is more than she seems.
This launches Mei into world-shifting encounters with supernatural forces and beings of incredible power. But how can she get herself unwrapped form this mess now that she's surrounded by such beings?
Mei is about to find out that the world is more violent and complicated than she once thought.
WHAT WORKS
Valles Jr.’s dialogue is humorous and quickly establishes each character’s personality.
Having multiple creatures that stand out is a strength of Chen's design work. It allows the reader to have a fun viewing experience as they partake in the many demons scattered throughout the panels.
The contrasting colors in Ansori’s backgrounds heighten the impact of the more action-packed scenes.
Gattoni’s lettering directs the flow of the story while elevating select moments through well-placed, textured sound effects and creatively designed balloons for the demons.
The final panels of both issues are excellent twists and the ending of issue one especially has great comedic timing. They will make the reader want to continue to the next issue quickly.
Active posing and bright colors make for dynamic action sequences. These are fast-paced and intense thanks to the linework and coloring working together so well.
Some excellent panels utilize silhouettes creatively to show internal damage being done to a demon and intensely heated conversations.
Worldbuilding is seamlessly woven into the dialogue, avoiding any large lore dumps or awkward character explanations.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK
Certain characters have names that are homages to familiar stories and felt a bit cliche rather than fun.
Some pages have lots of gutter space that could have been used more effectively to feature more art.
A few interactions feel like their only purpose is worldbuilding, making them feel inauthentic.
Many of the pages follow the same muted blue and tan palette, and throwing in some brighter colors in spots would have heightened the drama and mood of certain scenes.
A few transitions between scenes weren’t different enough for readers to quickly register that the story had moved to a different locale. Better contrasting linework and coloring could have assisted these moments, or possibly a combination of establishing shots with captions.
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
Sacrifice has a special way of upping the stakes which each issue. Just when the reader thinks they’ve gotten the world established, another detail comes along that kicks it up a notch. Damien and company have that classic cockiness and sarcasm akin to classic superheroes, except these characters constantly butt heads, making the story both action-packed and hilarious.
The many creatures within means readers will never be bored when it comes to monster butt-kicking. A lot of imagination is demonstrated whenever the team has to tackle the latest demon of the day. Excellent coloring choices make each scene pop off the page and the intensity of the action stand out. Perfect for anyone needing a fun read full of mayhem, Sacrifice is a great addition to supernatural comics.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
War by Laurent Valles Jr. & Alaire Racicot
Nyx by Christos Gage & Marc Borstel
Hellboy by Mike Mignola
If you like the art:
American Stray by Brian E. Paterson & UJ Chen
The Librarian by UJ Chen
Van Helsing Vs. Frankenstein by Pat Shand & Leonardo Colapietro
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Laurent Valles Jr. (@always_be_evil) – Writer
Valles Jr. got his start writing the webcomic War with Alaire Racicot
Sacrifice is his print comics debut.
He is a military veteran.
UJ Chen (@uj_chenart) – Artist
Chen is a newcomer to comics and started drawing a few years ago.
He has contributed to multiple kickstarted projects.
Chen hails from Taiwan.
Ichsan Ansori (@ansori_ichsan) – Colorist
Ansori is prominent in the indie sphere and has colored multiple crowdfunded comics including Territory, Florida Man, and Thin Blue Line.
He studied design at the Desain Komunikasi Visual Studies Institute Technology National.
Ichsan hails from Indonesia.
Lucas Gattoni (@letteringbear) – Letterer
Gattoni has done work mostly in the indie sphere but has also lettered comics for Dark Horse, IDW, Scout, and Comixology Originals.
He lettered the GLAAD award nominee Liebestrasse.
Gattoni is a native Spanish speaker and has lettered books in it and English.
HOW DO I BUY IT?
Issues #1-3 Coming Soon To Kickstarter!
The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Sacrifice characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright of Laurent Valles Jr. or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.