Kranburn #4

I got the digital copy of Kranburn #4 a little while ago, and I also managed to order the paper copies of #3 and #4.  Looking forward to getting them after their journey halfway around the world.

The cover is something of a change of pace.  Rather than a fairly detailed piece with a pose, the art is a stark portrait of a shadowed Brand, and it's also a page in the comic.  It does grab your attention.

Kranburn #4 is noted as the start of chapter 2.  At three books a chapter, and I'll guess a few more chapters, we may be at this for a while.  That's good, the webcomic is maybe a full book or so ahead, and it looks like there's still a lot of story to tell.

Brand starts his assault on the Nong in revenge for the kidnapping of Lawton and his wife.  (It seems to me it's more personal than that.)  Immediately the nasty violence begins.  An ambush, a trap, then Brand absorbs a vicious beating and barely escapes.  Meanwhile, the kidnappers terrorize the Lawtons, and deliver the digit to Kranburn, to terrorize its inhabitants.  Finally, we see Lord, and the guy who beat up Brand, Brutus, who took a few lumps as well, presents Lord with Brand's machete.  Lord is quite pleased with this.

This is a bunch of fun to read.  There's loads of action, some drama, not a lot of exposition but a few foreshadows.  The art has more breathless renditions of nasty violence, and some nice composition.  I'm anticipating what I've seen coming in the webcomic as I read the story, and it actually adds to my enjoyment of it.  Though it almost looks like it's building to a climactic battle, it seems to me there are other parts to the story that will grow more significant.

You should really check out Kranburn.  You can see it for free, and own it for cheap.  Check the Links page on this blog and see for yourself.