• 10
  Comics Bulletin - Ray Tate Jul 19, 2003

  Carlos Pacheco cannot help drawing things that look aesthetically pleasing, and indeed, his presence on the book eschews the type of gothic, dark fantasy setting one expects to see. In each scene however the innocence of the fairy tale, as it once did, bears an undercurrent of the sinister. When first we see the OAC they should be a bright spot and spectacular, but the reader has already experienced vicariously the battlefield, and she can see the meaning behind the trappings. Pacheco depicts Bonnie--he with the Robin Hood mustache and beard--as too eager to inveigle Arrowsmith. In contrast, he imbues nobility to the Rock Troll who will not fight even if his own family have been killed in the attacks. Such evocative artwork matches perfectly Mr. Busiek's thoughtful, involving story. Read Full Review

• 8.0
  Comics Bulletin - Jason Cornwell Jul 23, 2003

  The basic premise of this miniseries seems to be World War I story set on a world where magic developed alongside technology. Now this is hardly a history text, as this first issue is an action heavy affair, that also does a pretty decent job of introducing us to our highly idealistic lead character. Now I'm not sure how I feel about such a young character being thrown into what I presume will be some fairly heated combat, but then again one of the best war films I've ever seen involved a group of young Germans who were called upon in the tail end of the war (All Quiet on the Western Front), so I'm not completely against the idea. I do have to question the idea that a complete novice would be able to turn the tide of the war, but it's a little early in the game for this concern. As it stand this was a fairly entertaining start, and with the absolutely gorgeous art of Carlos Pacheco on hand, this miniseries certainly looks like a winner. Read Full Review

• 6.0
  Comics Bulletin - Cody Dolan Jul 22, 2003

  To be honest, I expected more from Kurt Busiek. Ive never been a big fan of his work (his dialogue in Avengers sounded like it belonged in a 1980s Chris Claremont comic), but his recent Astro City mini series was quickly changing my mind. I went into this mini series not knowing a thing about the story; its the names Busiek and Pacheco that captured my attention and money. Im not sure their work this time out fully deserved either, but they do have me curious enough to stick around for the next chapter of their story. Read Full Review

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