The Principles of Necromancy #1 [Review + Interview]
WARNING: Violent Image Below
In The Principles of Necromancy, there is no magic. Instead, there are Physicians. A select group of talented scientific minds, they are charged with soothing the various ailments and maladies of the world. One such Physician, however, Dr. Jakob Eyes, is not content to merely stifle coughs or stitch wounds.
No - he means to conquer death itself.
Written by the dynamic duo of Colin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (One Bad Day: Clayface, Batman Beyond: Neo Year), The Principles of Necromancy is the debut title for Magma Comix - a new publishing studio that emerged as an imprint of Heavy Metal magazine. Led by Denton Tipton, Magma is hoping to make its mark within the indie comic world by offering creators the freedom to bring their ideas to life with as little obstruction as possible. The offer was just too tempting for Kelly and Lanzing, who then set out to find a unique artistic talent to bring this harrowing tale to life.
They found that talent with Eamon Winkle, who makes his official sequential debut with this book. Speaking at the Magma Comix panel at WonderCon this past weekend, Lanzing said looking at Winkle’s work was like “If you combined Greg Capullo and Kelley Jones…” High praise indeed, and once you’ve had a chance to flip through the pages of The Principles of Necromancy, you’ll see why.
The opening tale of The Principles of Necromancy is blood-soaked and barbarous, and Winkle succeeds in delivering panel after panel of compelling violence, exquisitely braided with harrowing sequences of body horror. Perhaps most impressive is his ability to bring the character of Dr. Eyes to life. Adorned by his haunting surgical mask, he has a wholly unique appearance that stands out exceptionally well.
While I could gush about the visuals all day, Kelly and Lanzing have certainly earned their flowers for their latest endeavor as well. The world of The Principles of Necromancy is vivid and interesting, and the character of Dr. Eyes is intended to be quite a bit more complex than just a standard “bad guy”. There is no internal monologue, no insights as to why he does what he does. This is simply one encounter of many, and his true motivations have yet to be revealed.
Lance from Comic Book Keepers had a chance to sit down with Kelly, Lanzing and Winkle at WonderCon this past weekend. Take a listen to hear more about this awesome book!
Stellar writing and next-level art - if this is any indication of the caliber of books we expect to see from Magma Comix in the future, indie comic fans have a lot to look forward to.
A stunning display of the macabre, The Principles of Necromancy stands out thanks in no small part to the spectacular art of the up-and-coming Eamon Winkle. Get yourself a copy of this book, my friends…because it’s not often you get to see the start of such a promising artist in real time.
