Firstly, a brief summary of Warcraft: Death Knight-
Death Knight follows the story of Thassarian, beginning from his days as a young man in Lordaeron's army. Through a combination of flash-backs and linear storytelling, it shows the events leading from the fall of Lordaeron, the redemption of the Death Knights, to Thassarian's journey to seek revenge upon the Lich King.
Now, let me validate myself by saying I am both a longtime manga fan, Warcraft player, and bookaholic. I've flipped through every Warcraft comic or manga in print, and so far there are very, very few I felt worth the money. This one, however, was simply incredible.
There are a few things to keep in mind, however.
Firstly, this is a manga...a concrete story trying to do the impossible: capture the essence of a constantly evolving game. Anytime a book/comic attempts to do this, with ANY series, there will be obsessed fans who are disappointed. This book, like any RPG/MMORG novel, must be read with that understanding. In that light, I don't think anyone could have done a better job than Rocio Zucchi and Dan Jolley!
The Art: I was a little skeptical at first, as I am not used to seeing sword-and-sorcery stories in manga form. However, I quickly got over that and came to really appreciate the style and representation of the characters. Rocio Zucchi does a fantastic job of portraying the characters' personalities, and especially in contrasting the details between Thassarian as a human vs. Death Knight. Her style is very emotive, which blends well with Dan Jolley's storytelling. The Blood/High Elves especially were beautifully done (unlike in a few other Warcraft manga that I shall leave unnamed...). The detail, too, is absolutely staggering. The scene in which Arthas descends upon Lordaeron with the Scourge army has so much detail that you have to really study it to see everything that is there. Nothing is skimped. I truly look forward to seeing her work on
Warcraft: Shaman!
The story: The story, too, was very well done. It was fantastic to see not only Thassarian's backstory, but Koltira Deathweaver's as well (two of my favorite characters!). It is also refreshing to have Lerrysa given a bit of story, as in the game she just pops up as a damsel in distress. Here, at least, she's given a chance to show she's more than a plot device. Thankfully very little is repeated from the game, but rather the story behind events and characters is fleshed out. My only regrets are that neither Kael'thas or Illidan make an appearance, and Koltira's screen-time is limited, but considering the length limitations of manga format it is understandable.
In short, this is a MUST HAVE for any fan of the lore of Warcraft. Death Knight fans especially will enjoy this book, though any Warcraft player should definitely pick up a copy. It gives much-needed back story and character development to certain elements of the game, and truly makes an altogether much more enjoyable experience.
Thumbs up!