Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer Deluxe » (Deluxe edition)

The iconic painting comes to life in this epic tale of dark fantasy and horror! The land of Iparsia is at war. Two kingdoms fight for survival as an ancient evil sweeps across the land. The Death Dealer returns to Iparsia, but will the dark rider bring an end to the war... or will he bring an end to Iparsia? Critically-acclaimed novelist and comics writer Joshua Ortega (The Necromancer) teams up with cult-favorite artists Nat Jones (Spawn: The Dark Ages) and Jay Fotos (Spawn) to bring forth the first Death Dealer tale fully approved by Frank Frazetta himself!

VOYA

A dark, imposing figure with an axe sits atop a huge black horse. It is the Death Dealer, come again to Iparsia in time of war. This time, however, the war is not between nations but instead pits humankind against the unnatural forces of the evil god Mirahan. The Death Dealer has been resurrected, using the body of Adelia's slain lover Haden, but even fighting for a cause may not be enough to win the day. Legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta created the first Death Dealer painting in 1973, following over the years with five more depictions of the brutal warrior in the horned helmet. All six are reprinted in the back of this volume, along with commentary by Frazetta's son, additional sketches by artist Nat Jones, and an original script treatment. Jones does a good job of adapting Frazetta's style for this book (originally six comic book issues), and writer Ortega pens a standard but competent fantasy tale of love and the struggle of kingdoms versus evil. Despite the gruesome undead creatures and destruction, however, the book's tone is still a bit surprising given the solitude and bleak landscapes of Frazetta's well-known paintings. Here the Death Dealer clearly fights on the side of life and even love, and a small crew of grim but heroic protagonists populates the book. It serves to make the titular character relatable and opens the door for further tales of the Death Dealer. Frazetta's fans should be pleased, and readers of dark fantasy may enjoy this as well. Reviewer: Lisa Martincik