‘Bird King’ Vol. 3 Continues To Be Some Of The Best Storytelling In Modern Comics

Welcome to the table,

Crom is one of those artists who comes along once in a lifetime and defines a look so perfectly that it feels both timeless and always on the cutting edge. I mean, as a person who spent years laboring over what kind of tattoo I wanted, to get inspired by their work, and then get my first tattoo because I finally figured out black-and-white sword & sorcery worked for me, I have a daily reminder that Crom’s work is the kind of stuff that inspires. I don’t even have a Crom tattoo (yet!) mind you, I have a Tim Truman Warduke from the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons action figure box art, but the path I had to take to get to the “yes, ink in skin please” was all because I randomly found Crom’s art and it set me on my way like a loving parent packing one’s lunch bag and sending them off to school to learn how to be a better version of themselves.

Before I get off the rails and start getting even more emotional about Crom’s work, let me talk to you about why we are here: Bird King Vol. 3 is amazing.  If you have not read it yet, you should.

The new volume from Dark Horse Comics is out and it is spectacular. Written by Daniel Freedman with art by the timeless Crom, this book is a little more grim than the first two offerings, but tells such a solid story of sword & sorcery that it is hard to believe Bird King does not have an animated feature film yet.

The book picks up with Bianca and the gang captured and in chains as the armies of Atlas march towards home. What fascinates me about Bird King is how simply it frames an overwhelming force of “well intending” and — for all intents and purposes — “good” looking warriors as they ruin the lives of anyone who does not look or act like them. Under the banner of “saving them” or “helping”, they have essentially managed to cause so much destruction and death while parading themselves around like they are the greatest do-gooders the world has ever seen.

This honest storytelling is one of the most compelling parts of the whole Bird King tale. Everything feels so lived-in and real. There are not these big “brave and bold” moments, or these long winded dialogs and witty banter that feel planned and executed to look trendy. The storytelling always just feels so honest, so real, regardless of how fantastic the setting can become — and it’s a setting with a flaming skull armor warrior giant, so it understands fantastical.

Bird King Vol. 3 illustrates what happens when we get everything we think we want, it shows us the dangers of complying to the powers that be, it demonstrates the consequences of not looking beyond the surface of something that seems to good to be true. In the best possible way, Bird King is a modern fable designed to entertain, educate, and enchant all who read it. There have been few works of fiction that have managed to so powerfully capture my heart, but the written and drawn lines within these pages are nothing short of magical and it is a story I will pass down for generations to come.

There is so much within this book I don’t want to spoil for you, so please allow me to leave you with this: the fights, when they occur, are amazing. The quiet moments are intentional and honed to a razors edge. The mood and tone of this whole offering is nothing short of spectacular and it’s for sure a “must read” going forward when someone asks me what comic I would recommend.

Until next time, I hope you give this book a chance. There is moment when Bianca is climbing down a wall towards the end that actually had me emotional due to the journey this book takes you on. As someone who has always wanted to belong, this is the kind of story that would have given me strength as a kid … it gives me strength in the face of a changing world now.