Dragonsblood #3by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Freya and Sigurd take on Bloodaxe. Sigurd's new powers push their way out, turning the tide of battle alongside Freya's own magical powers. A group of women are freed in the process, and they pledge fealty and their ability to fight to Freya. They ride to war against Ivan.The fight with Bloodaxe is a bit hit or miss as far as excitement. I appreciate seeing Freya and Sigurd struggle some to work with each other. I got annoyed that Freya turned to her magic after taking one hit from Bloodaxe (even if it did crack a rib). Sigurd is distracted by the voice he's hearing, but it does lead to new powers, which are exciting. His deciding to throw his sword is funny, and I'm glad they followed up on that with some annoyed teasing from Freya. Seeing Bloodaxe's hand melt away was my favorite part, though there are a few other gems at the end of the fight and after (like Freya's "Threads of Fate"). In the end though, I'm disappointed with how quickly Bloodaxe was defeated. We didn't get to learn about his own weapon, and he certainly didn't display any powers (and brute strength and sheer size don't count). The women fighters are a nice surprise. I love that our first image of them includes a woman in the foreground, using a pitchfork to impale her attacker. The little bit of information here about the women isn't that helpful with regard to their fighting abilities -- or anything else, for that matter. Still, I love that their leader, Greta, is dark-skinned, which adds some variety to the cast. Freya's announcements about getting the title of "Goddess of War" make me wonder about her. Ego like that doesn't befit her, and I'm glad Sigurd questioners her on it. It's surrounded by her new spell to connect her mind with others to communicate without words; this is definitely useful, but, again, I have to wonder about her. Who is she to command such magic? The little bit we see of Ivan isn't all that surprising, except his outfit, which doesn't look like it belongs in this story. I'm glad there's some mention about Sigurd's new powers, including that they might be "blood magic". He has a friend look into it, so I'm hoping we get some answers in the next issue. This issue has many moments of feeling rushed, which reminds me that this is only a four-issue mini-series. I could have definitely used more with regard to some characters and scenes, but it does manage to cover quite a bit of ground without seeming fragmented. I'm still enjoying it, and look forward to the conclusion. Written: August 11, 2019
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