Posted in: Comics, Indie Comics, Review | Tagged: black sands, david lenormand, fantasy, indie comics review, kickstarter, kids 2 kings, manuel godoy, mythology

Indie Comic Review: Black Sands (Kids 2 Kings) #3 – The Politics of a World of Gods

We pick up the story with a Sumerian ship passing a Cyprus crew off the coast of the latter's island. The Cyprus crew is suspicious of the Sumerians' activity, and the Sumerian crew responds by summoning a leviathan host to sink the Cyprus ship.

In Memphis, our young heroes return home. Ausar is berated for his actions in Kerma. Everyone, including Ausar's father the Pharaoh, worry about Ausar's future and his brash actions. The Pharaoh is called away on a border concern, leaving Seth to watch over Memphis. An envoy of Cyprus delivers a message he wants left for the Pharaoh, but Seth convinces the Cyprus man to leave it to Seth. However, Ausar's impulsiveness complicates things greatly.

Black Sands #3 follows up on the story of Kids 2 Kings with a dive into the politics and procedure of the Kemetic Empire and the surrounding nations. It also focuses on the dangers of Ausar's brash nature and the potential consequences of what he has already done.

The dichotomy of Ausar and Seth is further highlighted too, which makes for a nice conflict within the family of sibling protagonists. The sisters are downplayed somewhat this issue, but I hope to see more from them in the future.

The drawback to this surge of political and international intrigue is that it can be a little difficult to follow the various factions and who is aligned with whom. This will likely clear up in forthcoming installments, but it does leave this issue a little hazy in spots.

David Lenormand once more makes a strong showing in this issue with the anime/manga-inspired style of Black Sands. The characters have great and unique designs, it's easy to tell everyone apart, and the detailing of the world is great. The colors are vibrant and well-balanced, and the overall palette of purples and golds is inspired.

Black Sands #3 is a compelling and intriguing next step for the saga of Ausar and his siblings. This take on the story and personalities of the gods of ancient antiquity is great, and it's great seeing a bit more diversity in a tale like this. Manuel Godoy and David Lenormand have something great here, and it's worthy of your support.

For those interested in reading the comic, it's available at the Kids 2 Kings website store, and there is also an ongoing Kickstarter page for a cartoon film about the Black Sands universe.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!