Collecting issues 25-30 in the story: Sojourn: A Sorcerer's Tale. Arwen and her companions discover the story of the evil Mordath, but can the source of the tale be trusted?
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In short, Sojourn works, and it is too bad that readers will never know how the interesting story ends. Mark Rollins --Associated Content
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Ian Edgington is a Checker Publishing author.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
CHECKER BRINGS BACK CROSSGEN!,
This review is from: Sojourn Volume 5: A Sorcerer's Tale (Sojourn) (Paperback)
When CrossGen Comics first burst onto the scene in 2000, they really seemed poised to become the next major player. They had a solid assemblage of creative talent, an excellent product, and people working behind the scenes who knew the comic industry. But ultimately, CrossGen failed where so many companies fail, comic companies or otherwise, right at the top with executive management. Like so many others, CrossGen tried to expand and diversify too much, too fast. The walls started crumbling in and by 2004 the company had filed for bankruptcy.
CrossGen had been collecting its various titles into trade paperback format but when the company finally folded, many issues had yet to be collected...until now. Checker Books has stepped in to save the day and CrossGen lives again! Checker is finally releasing collected editions of those issues, which previously had not been published in trade paperback format. This is absolutely wonderful! The first release in the series is Sojourn Volume 5, which collects issues 25 - 30 of the regular series, originally published in 2003 - 2004. Sojourn is an epic, high fantasy with some of the most beautiful art ever, pure and simple. If you hadn't previously read Sojourn, never fear. The book contains and introduction to the story and characters. Even if you are reading it for the first time you'll catch on very quick. Sojourn features perhaps the central plot of most epic fantasy stories---a quest. The evil warlord Mordath has risen from his tomb as an undead revenant, intending to enslave the Five Lands of Quin, backed by legions of trolls. The beautiful archer Arwyn is seeking the five fragments of the arrow that was used to kill Mordath. It's said that once the five fragments are reunited, the mythical warrior Ayden will return to again destroy Mordath. Arwyn is accompanied on her quest by the rogue, Gareth, and his sometimes love, the thief Cassidy. As this book opens, Arwyn as found two of the give fragments and is working on the third. Meanwhile, there are trolls in Mordath's own circle of power who think that a human should not be their ruler and they hatch a plot to assassinate him by attacking him with vorpal blades, actually dragon fangs dipped in dragon venom. Meanwhile, the trio of comrades encounters an island full of zombies, which may not be an island after all. Behind the scenes, a powerful mage named Pallias is aiding Arwyn on her quest but what are his real intentions? This is as good a fantasy epic as comics have seen since Conan was at his peak when Roy Thomas was writing his adventures in the 1970's for Marvel Comics. It's that good! As good as the story is, the art is simply phenomenal. Greg Land's work is worth the price of the book alone. I've seen a lot of pin-up art that is mesmerizing for its photo-realistic qualities but I've never seen photo-realism to this degree in a comic book. Each page is like a piece of fine art. A special tip of the hat goes to colorist Justin Ponsor whose bold, electrifying colors bring this to the peak of perfection. I simply cannot wait to see the rest of the CrossGen collections from Checker Books. Here's hoping they can get the rights to re-release the original trades put out by CrossGen. REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential For Sojourn Fans!,
This review is from: Sojourn Volume 5: A Sorcerer's Tale (Sojourn) (Paperback)
If you are a Crossgen fan and have been following the Sojourn story, you'll want to get a copy of this right away. It's the last published volume of this epic, outstanding story, the merits of which are better described in other reviews. Sadly, the story was never finished due to Crossgen's spectacular rise and fall...but this is the collection of the last published issues. A must have for any Sojourn fans!
4.0 out of 5 stars
SOJOURN - a rousing epic fantasy? Or pin-up page after awesome pin-up page? (answer: it's both, you lucky dog),
By H. Bala "Me Too Can Read" (Just moved to posh Marina Del Rey, CA - where if you drop a quarter, why, you just keep on walking) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
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This review is from: Sojourn Volume 5: A Sorcerer's Tale (Sojourn) (Paperback)
"I'll become a bride to hate and mother to vengeance! I shall set my heart like stone and my will like steel! I will set this world ablaze leaving naught but blood and ash in my wake... until that fateful day when I can spit on Mordath's broken corpse and condemn his soul to eternal damnation!"
Oboy, when Arwyn the Archer gets cheesed, you better stand back. SOJOURN Vol. 5: THE SORCERER'S TALE collects issues #25-30 of this curtailed series and finds our heroine still unwavering in her epic mission. SOJOURN, like most of its very excellent stable mates, fell victim to abrupt and very untimely cancellation when its publisher CrossGen Comics folded like origami paper. It kills me that we'll never know how Arwyn's story ends. Or, come to think of it, Simon Archard's story or Boon Sai Hong's or Sephie's or Obo-san's (from, respectively, RUSE, WAY OF THE RAT, MERIDIAN, and THE PATH). This is some tragic $#!+. With SOJOURN having lasted only 34 issues (35, counting the prequel), we're almost at the end of the series. But Arwyn and her friends still have quite a ways to go to fulfill the quest. An arrow shot by the god Ayden once slew the fearsome warlord Mordath. But three centuries later Mordath rose from his tomb, undead and suddenly manipulating the element of fire. With a vengeance Mordath took up where he left off and, with his troll armies, succeeded in conquering the Five Lands of Quin. The only one who sought an accounting was Arwyn the Royal Archer, survivor of a murdered husband and daughter. Arwyn has a plan. She means to gather up the five pieces of that same arrow which three hundred years ago had ended Mordath's life. And these five pieces, once reunited, will summon Ayden. Except that the arrow's remnants are scattered and hidden across the breadth of the Five Lands. So far Arwyn has unearthed three pieces. As this trade collection opens up, Arwyn has set her eyes on the fourth shard. But first she has to get out of the mess she's in. Issue #25 finds Bohr, troll Captain of Mordath's Guard, escorting the captive Arwyn across the wastelands and on to Mordath's fortress. Deadly circumstances would compel Bohr and Arwyn to join forces, and again Bohr comes off as a likable, honorable villain. We eavesdrop as Bohr tells Arwyn the trolls' version of the war between them and man, and his narration makes you believe that maybe, just maybe, the trolls had a real reason for being such utter gits towards humanity. Issue #26 finds a perturbed Mordath, the villain having seemingly lost his zest for foul shenanigans. But, yeah, there's nothing like quelling a mutiny from within to reinvigorate dread despots who've lost their groove. Issue #27 reunites Arwyn with the one-eyed rogue Gareth and the thief Cassidy and they take to the high seas, questing for that fourth arrow fragment. But our heroes get sidetracked and endure wild adventures involving mad scientists, strange islands, sea monsters, zombies, and a very disconcerting harem of lovelies, this last bit very much to Gareth's liking. The scoundrel. Behind the curtain the shady sorcerer Pallias is meddling, meddling, meddling. Like Arwyn, Pallias is working towards Mordath's downfall, but his motivations may not be as sympathetic as the Royal Archer's (he's really sort of a sleazebucket). Ian Edginton takes over writing from Ron Marz as of issue #25 and he's solid enough that the series doesn't miss a beat. Greg Land still lays down amazing illustrating skills, still shoots a poor guy's blood pressure way up with his etchings of lovely, lovely women. His stuff is so silky smooth and awesome that the book suffers whenever a guest artist steps in. Pity Cliff Richards who steps in with inferior pencil work in issue #30. Lewis LaRosa and Tom Derenick fare better in issue #26, but then again there ain't no luscious babes to draw in their guest stint. Still, they manage to draw a very sinister Mordath. If I could make one wish, it'd be for most of CrossGen's comic books to have resolution to their story arcs. Of course, if I could have two wishes, the other one would be for world peace. Maybe. Then again, I feel gypped that Valiant Comics also went under. I would love to catch up with Archer & Armstrong and Bloodshot and Rai and those other crazy characters... Okay, if I had a third wish, world peace. Although....
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