Broken Frontier

An intelligent adventure worthy of the praise.

Sam Humphries’ Sacrifice is reminiscent of Grant Morrison’s Joe the Barbarian, with a protagonist trapped between worlds, caught between massive opposing forces, and searching for a way home.  Sacrifice, unlike Joe however, reads much clearer while still retaining that feeling of a gigantic mystery waiting to be unveiled.  With series lead Hector now acquainting himself with the language and culture of the ancient Aztecs, how does he fit into the folds of the rapidly unraveling story?

In Sacrifice #1 Hector, an epileptic teenager from our world, found himself transported to the distant past and landing in the heart of ancient Aztec territory.  In this follow-up issue, Humphries returns to Hector’s increasingly expanding and complicated world.  Taken under the wing of the Aztec priest, Xilo, Hector is bombarded with cultural battles over rival gods, hidden and rewritten histories, and great conspiracies that continue to draw him in.  At the heart of these revelations is the warrior princess and enemy to the Aztec Empire, Princes Malintzin.  Malintzin’s ruthless pursuit for revenge, as Hector realizes, makes her destined to bring down her hated enemies; how our transplanted hero will find himself caught in the folds, however, is what will surely bring readers back next issue.

Sam Humphries’ fantastic story of an empire many readers have never heard of, much less seen, is brought to the life by the amazing art team of artist Dalton Rose, colorist Pete Toms, and letterer Troy Peteri.  Rarely does an art team so clearly work wonders together.  Rose’s pencils are simple and clean, yet incredibly detailed; the attention given to the designs of the characters and their clothing, temples and woodlands, and mighty gods is astounding.  Toms’ bright pinks, blues, and oranges gives each page a vibrant and vivid look, making both battle scenes and religious stories pop with intensity.  Even Peteri’s unique lettering style adds excitement to numerous scenes.  Sacrifice’s combined art team is just as crucial to the success of the book as Humphries’ story.

After two issues, Sam Humphries has laid the ground work for an intelligent and unique story that begs to be read.  Sacrifice feels epic in scope, yet remains clear and effortless to read, no small task in itself.  Hector’s transition from American teenager to the heart of an increasingly dangerous cultural battle is refreshing and exciting.  Sacrifice deserves all the praise and attention it gets.