Life, Death & Sorcery: A Hundred Days In The Future
Writer & Artist: Danny Zabbal
Publisher: Chapterhouse
A review by Josh Rose
Danny Zabbal has crafted a wonderful story that takes three, unsuspecting sisters on an unexpected journey. Life, Death & Sorcery: A Hundred Days In The Future is a fantasy series about Amelia, Coco, and Winnie, who’ve been conscripted into an adventure complete with magical crystals and evil wizards. Volume 1 is only the start of this adventure.
I need to compare this to the Chronicles of Narnia: group of children encounters a world previously unexperienced and unimagined; magic and a static world in need of saving suddenly thrown out of balance; that’s where the comparisons end. The sisters have a less than strong relationship to start, and Amelia is having a very hard time which leads her to run away from home, all the while hearing a voice in her head. Coco and Winnie decide to follow Amelia because the adults won’t listen to them. Amelia eventually finds the source of the voice in her head and shortly after runs into an evil wizard. Then she runs into her sisters, and with their help manages to evade the wizard and get to another realm.
Zabbal has written some wonderful characters in Life, Death & Sorcery: A Hundred Days In The Future. The relationships the characters have with one another aren’t easy. Their emotions are rough and they really show it. Amelia is the strongest and angriest of the sisters; Coco is the clever one, and Winnie is the sneaky one who is also the most optimistic.
I really enjoy Zabbal’s art. He draws character with very expressive faces, and the way he shows magic also plays out like highly advanced technology. His panel layout is simplistic and easy to follow. That being said, there are a lot of panels and I have to admire him for drawing, inking and colouring in all of those issues. Speaking of colours: I really enjoy Zabbal’s use of purples and pinks throughout.
The Verdict
Buy It! Life, Death & Sorcery: A Hundred Days In The Future is a wonderful family adventure that should be considered one of the classics. Its a character driven story, and the art is expressive and fun. I cannot wait for Volume 2 to come out starting next year so I can see more of the world Amelia, Coco and Winnie have stumbled into.
