The quality of the book in terms of production value is of the highest caliber. It is a spectacular-looking oversized hardcover with Frazetta's iconic artwork gracing the front. It is encased in a sturdy, engraved slipcase, and comes with a ribbon bookmark. The spine of the book is top-notch. The pages are appropriately thick and glossy. In other words, the outer dressing to this hefty graphic novel is as good as it gets.
I was completely enamored with the artwork in this book. Jones and Fotos do a wonderful job providing the the right ambience for this story. Jones' pencils and inks somewhat remind me a little bit of Richard Corben & Simon Bisley- not exactly the same by any means but there are some similarities(not to mention some parallels with Frazetta himself). Ultimately, however, his style remains uniquely his own; and with it he manages to draw wonderfully violent, brutal & grotesque imagery when called for, detailed close-ups, foregrounds & backgrounds, & his work here often exudes a sense of power & masculinity. And the gorgeous splash & double splash pages are particularly jaw-dropping.Then there's the coloring of Fotos, which is gracefully gloomy, produces menacing & dread-inducing hues of red & fiery orange & yellows, and revels in bringing to life the grit, grime, & blood that permeates this tale. Together, Jones & Fotos make a truly formidable team here. Their passion for the iconic Frazetta character & this project is easily felt when gazing upon these pages. They were meant for this story.
The back of the book contains a bevy of delightful bonus features. From Jones' loose pencil sketches to his tighter pencil sketches and pen & ink sketches/drawings to his and Fotos' exquisitely sublime, Frazetta-inspired art on the alternate covers to Frazetta's own legendary, entrancing & fearsome paintings of the Death Dealer, the bonus artwork here is probably worth the money itself. Then, there is the short but interesting biography of Frazetta, and an exceptional script to ink gallery. When it comes to added features, this book has them in spades! This is what a deluxe hardcover should be!
And then there's the story itself. All I have are mostly good things to say about it. It was executed very nicely in terms of pacing. It never dragged in any spots. The plot & characters were compelling, & the literary aspect of the story was told equally as well as the visual storytelling. For the most part, everything meshed together well(with only a couple of minor plot & character complaints that were easily forgivable) & I felt like I was treated to an engrossing, passionate, brutal, & somewhat philosophical sword & sorcery tale that left me feeling totally fulfilled. I only hope there are more Death Dealer comics/graphic novels in the future.
In closing: if you want to read a fantasy, action/adventure graphic novel that contains eye-popping, darkly beautiful & brutally rendered imagery accompanied by a savagely dark- but engaging story, then by all means buy this. Even if you took the whole story out completely, the artwork in the bonus material is worth the purchase alone. You could stare at it for days(especially with this being a gigantic oversized hardcover allowing for the taking in of the majestic art contained herein even more satisfying). So yeah, if you can find a new or like new copy that you can squeeze into your budget, I say go for it!
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DollyF
Frank Frazettas Death Dealer Deluxe HC
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2012