The medieval world is locked in war. As a godless mercenary company slogs across Europe in search of sustenance and coin, they encounter a demonic force born not of hell, but of somewhere else entirely!
Dark Ages #1 wasnt even on my radar when it was plopped on my lap to review. I would have probably passed it by in the comic store and never given it a second thought. That is not what the book deserves. It demands to be read and Ill be damned if Im not going to push it on everyone I know. Read Full Review
Dark Ages 1 is good, not great. That being said, there’s 3 issues left and Abnett and Culbard clearly know what they’re doing. Now that the stakes are raised for our knights, Abnett and Culbard need to keep it up and Dark Ages could quickly become something to talk about. Read Full Review
"Dark Ages" is a genre mashup that goes well beyond its prerequisite duties to accurately and satisfactorily represent both of the genres its pulling from. In addition to checking those boxes, Abnett and Culbard pull some unexpected, eternally relevant themes into their storytelling that they use to fill out the world just enough, rather than weigh it down. In other words, "Dark Ages" contains a wonderful script that is both smarter than it has to be and fun enough to please the crowd, and a smart artist in Culbard who makes sure that the focus of the title is always in the right place. Read Full Review
Overall, Dark Ages sees the return of a creative partnership who seem to compliment each other perfectly, and lays some intriguing groundwork for what promises to be a gripping mix of the historical and the supernatural. Highly recommended, even if Abnett and Culbard are clearly playing their cards very close to their chests so far in this one. Read Full Review
Dark Ages #1 is a thrillingcomic both in its own right and as a change of scenery from contemporary superhero titles. Abnett and Culbard make a perfect team for this fierce, medieval adventure. Read Full Review
Overall, I found this to be a surprising 'first in the series' book, with just enough mystery accompanied by a well written story-line to pique my interest. This is definitely a book I could read more of, if only to see who 'They' are, and their role in the story-line. Yet another solid piece of work by Abnett and Culbard. Read Full Review
Sword & sworcery meets sci-fi horror " sign me up! Read Full Review
"Dark Ages" #1 stands up fine on its own simply as a sci-fi/swordfight mashup, but is elevated by both the mystery behind the aliens' arrival, and the subtle foreshadowing that there could be more behind this still. Read Full Review
Dan Abnett's story is a somewhat familiar one, as he injects a tried and true sci-fi/horror concept into another time, at unlikely characters. He thrusts a group of sword-wielding warriors into situations one can find in such movies as Aliens and Cowboys and Aliens. As a result, there aren't a lot of surprises here and the story plods along predictably. Nevertheless, it makes for an undeniably entertaining read, probably because the script is so focused and the two main protagonists seem so well realized despite a temporal and cultural divide between them and the audience. The book struck me as something of a pitch for big-screen treatment, which isn't uncommon for such limited series from smaller publishers these days. In any case, the first issue of Dark Ages is a fun read, and that's something a lot of other comics can't claim. Read Full Review
I can't really recommend this one, unless you're as fascinated as I am by zany match ups. It's not terribly well done, it's a bit confusing to read, and it really wasn't all that exciting. If the setting catches your attention though, let's hope things get better soon. Read Full Review
This is a great first issue if you're looking for a cool premise and interesting cast of characters. Unfortunately it's weak on character concerning the main protagonist so far and it'll be hard to care all that much. Read Full Review
On our review scale a "3" is average. It means that it's a comic book with competent writing and art and a vast majority of what's published falls into this category. So does Dark Ages. It's not a bad comic, but its average" painfully average. Read Full Review
Together, Abnett and Colbard's talents combined make Dark Ages a fun read for being such a harsh story. There are plenty of intense and surprising moments, and by the end of the issue you're in the zone and pining for the next one. Dark Ages has started off on the right foot but the truly fun part of any good first issue is wondering where the story will go from here. Read Full Review
I was excited to read this one and I am hoping future issues make this one make more sense. I think the art is always going to leave something to be desired for me but I'm only one person and that style just isn't my type. It does have potential to be a good series but it is off to a slow start. I'm looking forward to seeing if the creatures are of mystical in nature or of an alien race and what happens to the captain who I am assuming is the main character. I will be picking up the next issue to see where it goes and if it gets better from here. Read Full Review
Dan Abnett, an Oxford educated Britton, whose titles include Legion Lost and Knights Pendragon, is a skilled writer and, hopefully, has an inkling about the history of this year. Since the Hundred Years War (starts in 1337), is foreshadowed, I suppose he does. Abnett's 2000 A.D. collaborator, I. N. J. Culbard's art is flat but striking. The very conscience two dimensional panels gives the book a very Bayeux Tapestry (look it up) feel, which is cool if you're a history geek as well as a comics geek. It's a bland first issue, but stick with this series, but not so long as it takes to start quibbling about God and food. Read Full Review
Aside from the formidable artwork, Dark Ages #1 isnt a strong debut for a very talented creative team. The hopes of many series like this are pinned to their opening issues and if thats the case here then there is little reason to believe this series will be held favourably by many readers. The bland characters come off as stale because it seems that even the most paltry effort to make us connect with them has been glossed over in favour of the moody narration or the curt and boring dialogue. This was way more by-the-numbers than I expected given the creators involved. Steer clear of this book for now as the future of this book looks dim. Read Full Review
There are some high points here, and I like the art style, but the story is pretty boring and heavy handed. If you want a quick and bloody read it's fine, but there's probably better options out there. Read Full Review
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