Part 1 cover:
Part 1 cover:
Cover for the final issue:
Oh, and Max Fiumara's inks:
Boy, was I glad to see that Mignolaversity's review explained much of what happened in this issue. I was really confused by parts of this one at first. I did like it, though, especially the art.
That vision war that Abe had with the Ogdru Hem was amazing, it took me two read throughs to really wrap my head around it but it was worth it because the art was amazing. There are a few questions it raises though, most importantly though was the part of his vision with church; are his followers doomed?
I have a different view on the congregants.
It felt like it's closer to a representation of the souls taken by the Ogdru Hem.
The biggest hint would be Autume, looking hollowed and broken, sitting among other dead that were taken earlier.
I guess that's another indication that Autume really died(or transformed if you prefer) when the Ogdru Hem rose from the water.
Nice take on the Dagon, I completely forgot about them as I don't recall much about the Drowning.
Now that we are certain Abe is not one of Ogdru Hems. It makes me wonder then about the people of the Unland.
They are clearly followers of an Ogdru Hem. That artifact, Mona, was referred as a vessel for an Ogdru Hem as well.
Is it just a coincidence that an Ogdru Hem happens to look exactly like the blue egg? Or maybe it was a child of Dagon corrupted by an Ogdru Hem?
It was definitely one of the mos complex pieces of story telling that I've seen in a long time. At first I didn't recognize Caul, I thought it was a priest with a new pog driving the beast away, but when I read it the second time I really paid attention to the details and realized it wasn't a new character and that it had to be a representation of Abe. When he was engulfed by the Ogdru Hem the melded on a psychic level and what we witnessed was the ensuing battle. I'm thinking that perhaps the vision of the church was the beast's parting shot at Abe, like, "You win this round, but everything you touch will crumble eventually."
I think I need to read that again, I didn't see the Mona as a Ogdru Hem but rather perhaps a brother or sister of Abe's own pod and that Abe's rejection of it was just another example of him existing neither here nor there.
On another note, Gustav Strobl steals every single issue he's in. can't wait for the few pages we get of him every other month. Shonchin shows his face as well for one of his biggest speaking parts to date! Wow!