Rebel Moon: House Of The Bloodaxe #1, the upcoming comic book prequel to Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon will be on sale at comic shops and digital devices from 10 January 2024. Based on a story by director Zack Snyder, it was written by trans comics writer Mags Visaggio, whose real name is Brian, and the description thereof has comic book fans fearing it might be a torturous slog of identity politics soul searching.
Mags Visaggio has been in the news multiple times as of late for controversial takes attempting to turn Superboy into a trans girl, trolling #Snyderverse fans, and attacking beloved comic creator Mark Millar, making fans nervous about his working on the REbel Moon property.
In the YouTube trailer, the comic is described as: “Introducing the comic book prequel to the Netflix sensation. The Planet Shasu is in political turmoil at the edge of the galaxy. But when the Imperium comes to reinforce control after the death of the royal family Lord Yisrael must bring the warring clans together to either bring peace or war to the motherworld.”
From the description, we gather that the fate of the planet rests upon the protagonist successfully doing some soul-searching to resolve his inner conflicts: “As war is looming on the horizon on the planet Shasu, the reluctant ruler of the Bloodaxe family is conflicted between living up to his father’s domineering legacy and maintaining the peace. It is up to him to settle the conflicts within himself and his family before the entire planet erupts in war.” The premise sounds like a transgender Mary Sue on a cosmic scale.
The Google Books summary appears overly optimistic: “For fans of Snyder’s movies and epic space operas,” considering that Rebel Moon, Snyder’s space opera, can by no stretch of the imagination be called epic.
The Google Books summary goes further: “As war is looming on the horizon on the planet Shasu, the leader of the Bloodaxe family is conflicted between living up to his father’s domineering legacy and maintaining the peace. It is up to him to settle the conflicts within himself and his family before the entire planet erupts in war. Created by acclaimed director Zack Snyder (300, Zack Snyder’s Justice League) and written by award-winner Mags Visaggio, Rebel Moon offers a thrilling story of rebels and righteousness centered on a tumultuous distant planet that acts as a direct prequel to the Netflix original movie.”
According to IGN: “The series is set five years before the events of Rebel Moon Part 1 and focuses on two characters in particular, Cleopatra Coleman’s Devra Bloodaxe and Ray Fisher’s Darrian Bloodaxe.”
As for the art, it is typical of many contemporary comics, lacking a unique charm and distinctiveness. Although skillfully done in most panels shown in the Rebel Moon: House Of The Bloodaxe #1 trailer, the art isn’t dynamic or energetic and may not be to all comic book fans’ tastes. There are some panels that unfortunately, look half-done, though.
We don’t see the characters brought to life with bold, expressive lines, vibrant and bold color palettes and a keen sense of movement the way artists like John Byrne, Frank Miller, and George Perez did with their characters. Their (Byrne, Miller and Perez’) pages pulsed with energy, capturing attention and immersing the reader in the action, giving the characters a larger-than-life presence, making every panel a visual feast.
Do you believe that Mags Visaggio will show some storytelling prowess or will he fluff it? Let us know in the comments.
Hiring that notorious cancel pig, was Zack Snyder’s biggest mistake.
Indeed, it would be interesting to see whether there will be retailers who refuse to carry the comic