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A review by tesslw
Anno Domini 1000, Volume 0 by Thomas Gilbert
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TW; religious trauma, graphic religious imagery and indoctrination, graphic injury, death / murder of a child, animal death / injury, ritual sacrifice, execution,
Set in Europe in the year 1000, Anno Domini (or, as it translates, ‘The Year of our Lord’) follows the nomadic Brunhilde (and her trusty companion, Wolfy). She is a healer and wolf-charmer, traversing the wilderness before becoming caught in a frenzy of famine, death, and of mysterious, brutal child murders. Determined to solve the mystery and appease the lost souls of the children, Brunhilde sets out on a mission - at her own peril.
Please be warned that this graphic novel is precisely that - GRAPHIC. There is truly nothing left to the imagination here; despite the title Anno Domini (‘The Year of Our Lord’), this comic truly caught me off guard with the strength and intensity of the violence in the name of religion throughout. If you are coming into this with any semblance of religious trauma please tread lightly - this is PACKED full of ecclesiastical, pious litany concerning eschatology, cleansing and redemption - spread by zealots of the so-called-apocalypse which they claim is fast approaching. This is an unsettling and potentially upsetting read, but I found myself gripped by it. There were moments when the plot felt it was jumping around a little, which could potentially have used a little refining but ultimately the story and the message was conveyed as intended.
I thought this was a really interesting way to remind us of the violent history not only of religious fanaticism, but of power, poverty and injustice throughout lands - the drastically unjust distribution of wealth between monarchs and peasants, the fight for respect in oppressive systems of societal hierarchies, and even dwells lightly on human nature when it comes to altruism vs self preservation.
I must also add that I was honestly blown away by some of the art throughout this - despite the gore, often the imagery is staggering, arresting and powerful - the horsemen of the apocalypse were a consistent highlight.
Set in Europe in the year 1000, Anno Domini (or, as it translates, ‘The Year of our Lord’) follows the nomadic Brunhilde (and her trusty companion, Wolfy). She is a healer and wolf-charmer, traversing the wilderness before becoming caught in a frenzy of famine, death, and of mysterious, brutal child murders. Determined to solve the mystery and appease the lost souls of the children, Brunhilde sets out on a mission - at her own peril.
Please be warned that this graphic novel is precisely that - GRAPHIC. There is truly nothing left to the imagination here; despite the title Anno Domini (‘The Year of Our Lord’), this comic truly caught me off guard with the strength and intensity of the violence in the name of religion throughout. If you are coming into this with any semblance of religious trauma please tread lightly - this is PACKED full of ecclesiastical, pious litany concerning eschatology, cleansing and redemption - spread by zealots of the so-called-apocalypse which they claim is fast approaching. This is an unsettling and potentially upsetting read, but I found myself gripped by it. There were moments when the plot felt it was jumping around a little, which could potentially have used a little refining but ultimately the story and the message was conveyed as intended.
I thought this was a really interesting way to remind us of the violent history not only of religious fanaticism, but of power, poverty and injustice throughout lands - the drastically unjust distribution of wealth between monarchs and peasants, the fight for respect in oppressive systems of societal hierarchies, and even dwells lightly on human nature when it comes to altruism vs self preservation.
I must also add that I was honestly blown away by some of the art throughout this - despite the gore, often the imagery is staggering, arresting and powerful - the horsemen of the apocalypse were a consistent highlight.