Mezo: Battle at Coban Rock Issue 1 (of 5) Volume 2
Unfortunately, Mezo: Battle At Coban Rock Issue 1 of Volume 2 is not a standalone. One will have to delve into Mezo: Rise of the Tzalekuhl Volume 1 before attempting Volume 2. The inspiration for Mezo’s aesthetic lies in Mesoamerican history and mythology. Notably from the Mayans and Aztecs.
Writer: Tyler Chin-Tanner
Artist: Val Rodrigues
Colorists: Gab Contreras (Pg 10-24) and Varga Tomi (Pgs 1-9)
Synopsis:
The story starts off in Metzalpote, with a young boy making his way home.
He is not making his way home casually. NO! He is climbing buildings, leaping off buildings, skidding down buildings. The setting looks like the Mayan Ruins. Before it was in ruins. It is during the boy’s way home we realize that the young boy is in fact the mighty warrior Phegor. We are also introduced to a young Roden, training with the twins Balaque and Uhna. Phegus is being summoned by his father and is presented with a gift in anticipation of the approaching solar eclipse.
We are then transported to the present day. The Tzalekuhl Empire are making their way through the land of Mezo, determined to conquer the other tribes in the name of their God Kuhl.
The solar eclipse is fast approaching. It comes to light that the celestial seed must be restored. If the celestial seed remains fractured and the solar eclipse passes, the consequences will be dire.
Final Thoughts:
The story takes place in a tribal setting, yet it has a Game of Thrones feel to it. The invasion, the blood splatter that you can almost feel coming off the pages from Volume 1… Given the setting, the artwork gives it a refined yet crude way of expressing and depicting war. Vengeance oozes off the pages in certain instances. And it makes you wonder why. Answers present themselves in morsels but not enough to draw a solid conclusion. There are moments of confusion. At the beginning of the issue, the boy is called Phegus by his father. Then two frames later show Roden calling the now soldier Phegor.
Score: 7.5