Fire and Ice #1 Review!

There are a number of Frank Frazetta inspired comic books and Dynamite Entertainment has produced a comic book that has the style and expands on the Frazetta/Ralph Bakshi film with Fire and Ice #1! The 1981 film was an animated fantasy story with Bakshi realizing Frazetta’s paintings and designs. Ralph Bakshi is also the director of animated adaptation The Lord of the Rings (1978). The film is written by the duo, Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas, comic book scribes who also wrote Conan the Destroyer (1984). The combination of artistic talents has produced a cult film that is a sword and sorcery classic. It was reviewed here: http://geektruth.blogspot.com/2023/05/retro-review-fire-and-ice.html.  

“Good in Life” is by Bill Willingham, the writer of the urban fairy tale, Fables, and Leonardo Manco, is the artist, who worked on Sláine, the Celtic barbarian, in 2000 AD. The variant cover features art by Frank Frazetta with Darkwolf holding an axe above Princess Teegra. She is startled at a Sub Human reaching for her. Below them are the barbarian, Larn, with his knife ready for more Sub Humans! It begins with long panels showing almost ancient etchings of a massive dragon and lion. Between them is a house of a mouse. The beasts start to rage yelling at each other, a kind of fairy tale, or almost cartoon rivalry. Their jaws become splattered with red and then their bodies as the tiger starts to pounce. The narrator says that the mouse is crushed in their conflict. 

The young hunter, Oyen, asks if they are the mouse. We see this question over a panel across two pages of a river running through a jungle, impressive design. The storyteller, Thon, in furs with a long spear says that all of the people between ice of the north and the fire in the south are the mouse. Oyen asks what is the point of hunting with the futility of this conflict. The conversations go down the lone of hunters, but one question remains, where is Larn? He is in the trees, Tarzan-like, and emerges with his spear saying that their talking has scared away the game. Thon tells Larn to find some food for the hunting party. The moon is seen in the trees as the group is huddled around a camp fire. Incredibly moody visuals and character work. 

Thon tells them that everything will die including empires. Jura is teased for falling for the chief’s daughter. Thon starts to talk, but is killed by a spear, a brutal scene! We get a splash page of the Sub Human ambush on the camp! Their leader, Kaledan, in armor and cape points out one, Larn, to spare for the witch. Kaledan is a new character. Darkwolf stands guard astride his horse in the north. At Ice Peak castle, Kaledan is heard reporting about the ambush to his mother, Queen Juliana.  She has conjured his image from a cauldron and has brought up the sacrifice to Roliel, the witch. The image looks like a Frazetta painting. Juliana worries about her oldest son while she looks down on her youngest son, similar to Faramir in Lord of the Rings. We see the lone Darkwolf ride away. 

Larn is tied and carried on a pole by Sub Humans in the Riverlands. They speak in some strange language that is understood by the black cloaked advisor. The Sub Humans are being watched from the trees by two women hunters with pale and dark hair, her daughter. The women discuss that the Sub Humans were once warrios called the D’kora Kai. Then, Queen Juliana corrupted them into their Sub Human forms. They race through the jungle past stone reliefs that look Meso-American. Alongside them are a pale named Forest Ghost and black panther, Shaitan, an interesting pairing with the warriors. Shaitan is the panther of Teegra in the film. The white-haired hunter sends them off to track the raiding party. Ice Peak castle, we see the guards on watch, while Kaledan welcomes his brother, Nekron! 

He is on his throne as his brother brings wine from the south. Kaledon wants to know why Nekron his helping their mother with the spell to transfer power to him! He is surprised and then collapses realizing that Nekron drugged his wine. The young huntress asks for rest since her mother is tireless in the jungle. She says she was part of the jungle people, Pantera Ka, until found by the Fire Keep’s king. So Teegra had a warrior mother that was training her, love this bit of back story! Outside of the hut of Roliel, the advisor has the Sub Humans report to the witch and leaves with the others. This is seen by Teegra and her mother who has Teegra stand guard. Larn is held tied to a stake examined by the seductive witch. She wants her Sub Human son, Otwa, watch her spell! Fire and Ice is an incredible prequel that has visuals like the Frazetta/Bakshi work and fills in more of its world building and characters!  

Five Spears out of Five! 

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