Heaven And The Dead City, Volume 1
Written by Raine Szramski
Art by Raine Szramski
Cover by Raine Szramski
CO2 Comics
Release Date: June 21, 2012
Cover Price: Hardcover $24.99 | Softcover $14.99

CO2 Comics presents us with Heaven And The Dead City: Volume 1, which is surprisingly detailed for a former webcomic. This tale of two cities (Tac and Zivvon) is focused at first on Palus, who watched Tac fall during his youth. Following the turmoil, he entered the priesthood in Zivvon but eventually found his own faith lacking…mostly due to the fact that he was a witch who was taught that his innate abilities were not in line with the teachings of the church. During the first act we see him leave his home in search of answers.

Twenty years passes and we are introduced to Yaira and her quest for supplies in Zivvon’s more remote areas. Her interaction with the monsters that dwell there gives us a bit of background as to why this city is still deserted. Some small number of other bit characters are introduced and are mainly there to build depth to the heroine and establish her identity with the local townsfolk. The real twist is at the end when we see both storylines begin to intersect. Unknowingly, Yaira has attracted the attention of Palus. Where this leads, we will not know until the next volume most likely.

This is a black and white comic, but it doesn’t detract at all from the story. The fact that Raine Szramski created, wrote, and drew the entire comic is a testament to her skills. I was taken with the art more than the story, but maybe it’s because I really have a soft spot for monochromatic art. I can see the plots developing and I enjoyed reading it, but the artwork will keep me coming back for more. I applaud her efforts here and have to say that I will be watching for the next few volumes in the series. I hope you will give this one a try, it will definitely surprise you.