The Murkrone’s Final Victory In Coda #11
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
The the young girl from Ridgetown has high hopes for Sir Hum procuring the escape of the remaining survivors but, well…she shouldn’t hold her breath. Meanwhile, the mayor of Ridgetown pleads for an alliance with the Murkrone for all the good it will do her. The Murkrone has the Ylf, ambition, and the next stage of her plan ready, and she wants Hum to record it all as an epic ballad. Thankfully, there are still others ready to take the fight back to the Murkrone and thwart her plans for power.
Coda #11 is the penultimate issue of this BOOM! Studios maxiseries, and we find Sir Hum still sulking and soaking in his lowest point. Everyone around him still has designs on survival, but the bard seems to have given up on it all.
The Murkrone is becoming less interesting a villain in this issue. I appreciated her hybrid overprotective mother, casino pit boss, and mistress vibe. Now, she’s just another power-mad individual with the twist that she likes to make quips.
Of course, one of the points of Coda is the tendency of individuals to sort themselves into archetypes, and the Murkrone is certainly doing that. So, it’s a bit of give and take.
Serka isn’t out of the picture yet, and she does get a pretty great sequence in this issue.
Matías Bergara’s distinct and creative art style continues to be one of the greatest things about Coda. His work continues to shine here, between the mountain of what was once a giant and the glowing new form for the Murkrone. Characters are also made to be very expressive, which adds so much to the story. The color work, with assists from Michael Doig, is atmospheric and reflects the destitution thrust upon the few heroes and innocents left in this wasteland.
Coda #11 sets up for the series finale by bringing its characters to the lowest point possible. Sir Hum may yet have life in him, but it looks to be not long for this world, the Murkrone has access to immense power, and Serka is no longer sure of her will to fight. It all makes for good reading and earns the comic a recommendation. Check it out.
Coda #11 comes to us from writer Simon Spurrier, artist and cover artist Matías Bergara, color assistant, Michael Doig, letterer Jim Campbell, and variant cover artist Raúl Allén with Patricia Martín.