Robert Kirkman, the esteemed creator of The Walking Dead and Invincible, has teamed with David Finch, Annalisa Leoni, and Rus Wooton to deliver an explosive, action-packed, and heartfelt saga in Skinbreaker.
As an enormous fan of Robert Kirkman’s works, from The Walking Dead, to Invincible, to Outcast, to Oblivion Song, and so on, when I heard about Skinbreaker, I added it to my pull list without reading the synopsis. Pretty much everything Kirkman pens is masterful. Am I his biggest fan? Probably.
An 8-issue series, Skinbreaker transports fans to a primitive and tribal fantasy world, where we encounter an orc-esque people on the verge of collapse. We follow Enor, who has been the chieftain of his tribe for many years, but he’s grown old and weary, and can no hardly wield the mighty Skinbreaker — he struggles to even lift it. Given his condition, the people of the tribe believe he’s no longer fit to be chieftain, and so a power struggle ensues. Enor’s reluctant heir, Anor, knows that in order to take the mantle as head of the tribe, he must kill Enor and claim the Skinbreaker as his own. Does he have the strength to rule? Or will others strive to become chieftain?
The first thing that’ll stand out about Skinbreaker is the magnificent artwork. Kirkman has had the privilege of working with some almighty talented artists over the years, but series artist David Finch (Cyberforce, New Avengers, Moon Knight, Ultimatum) cooked up something particularly breathtaking with Skinbreaker. Each and every page is a feast for the eyes; whether it’s monsters, action, scenery, and beyond. In true Kirkman fashion, there’s a gluttony of gorgeous splash pages. I could continue rhapsodising about the art, but the best way is to show you one of the pages:
The plot of Skinbreaker is relatively straightforward; it’s a power struggle. Kirkman has written about power struggles numerous times in the past, particularly in The Walking Dead. It’s easy to grasp, and Kirkman adds depth through his signature emotional weight and unrelentingly brutal setting. You almost know what’s coming next, but that doesn’t matter because how it plays out will pluck your heartstrings anyway. The lore and world-building is unique and in-depth. It’s a world you want to explore further and lose yourself in.
Dialogue is deliberately at a minimum. Most of the time, the artwork does the speaking. Finch has a way of conveying the raw emotion needed without additional dialogue. You could flick through these issues fast, but I savoured every page, finding intricate details in the art. It was a joy surveying the fantastical landscapes, weapons, monsters, and character costumes.
The characters are one thing, but the overarching story revolves around the titular Skinbreaker itself; an otherworldly weapon and tool, with an annual ceremony dedicated to it. Whoever wields the Skinbreaker holds the power — not only the power to kill, but to rule.
Verdict
You can absolutely tell that Skinbreaker was a comic years in the making. It’s what happens when you put together a team of experienced, top-tier creators. The core story won’t blow you away. But when it’s presented by creators of such esteem, who execute it with masterful craftsmanship, you can’t help but find yourself speechless.
Buy Skinbreaker #1 here.
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