- Sea of Thieves Origins
- Titan Comics
- Written by Jeremy Whitley
- Illustrated by Rhoald Marcellius
- Colors by Sakti Yuwono
Filled with action, gold, and untold tales of glory, the Sea of Thieves is a strange and treacherous stretch of ocean where scoundrels and scallywags from all walks of life flock to test their might and mettle. Within this pirate paradise, three Trading Companies thrive: one of greed and gilded flesh, one of mercenary merchants, and one of skeletal skulduggery. Discover exactly how each of them found a way to flourish in an ocean thick with thievery. Collects Sea of Thieves Origins: The Price of Gold, Sea of Thieves Origins: The Bonds of Union and Sea of Thieves Origins: The Vision of Order and features some behind-the-scenes development of the comic series.
There have been a few things in the world of indie comics that have made me sad. One of those things was what happened to everyone associated with Action Lab a few years back. I won’t go into details cuz the internet is full of stories to bring you down, but I will say that I was very happy to see that the spirit of a fantastic series called Princeless lived on. Come with me now, and we’ll talk about rousing tales of adventure on the high seas, in a world where the damsels are causing way more distress than they ever need rescuing from.
Jeremy Whitley has created a world of mysticism, superstition, and swashbuckling good times in the pages of Sea of Thieves. Here we’re getting a deeper look at some of the major players in those pages. The Price of Gold introduces readers to the powerful Gold Hoarders, keepers of the keys to unlock any treasure… for a price. The Bonds of Union spotlights events leading up to the formation of a powerful coalition of traders and vagabonds who refuse to live in the shadow of convention. Finally, The Vision of Order reveals the origin of the mystically gifted Order of Souls, speakers for the dead to whom no treasure is truly lost. From love stories to tales of rising stars, Whitley has filled this book with more double-dealing & high stakes adventure than you can shake a wooden leg at. It’s all balanced storytelling, populated with interesting and unique characters, going about their extraordinary lives regardless of the odds against them.
Accompanying the writing, as in all good comics, is the stellar artwork of Rhoald Marcellius. With a body of work including Zombie Tales: Death Valley (Boom! Studios), Supergod (written by Warren Ellis for Avatar Press), and Bonehead (written by Bryan Hill for Image Comics), he’s an artist to follow. As would be expected from a story featuring pirates, particularly with the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow stumbling about the genre, Marcellius fills the pages with characters we just want to know more about. Not a person in these panels is boring or gives the impression that they’re just taking up space. Every face shows the lines of a life lived, for better or worse. And the world they all live in is brought to life by the colorful efforts of Sakti Yuwono, fitting palette to page every step of the way and never losing sight of the mood being presented.
Readers of adventure and mystery, fans of piracy & daring do, anyone who believes that there isn’t any representation in comics… this is your book. Admittedly, I’m not as familiar with the world of Sea of Thieves but reading this trio of stories has me wanting to fix that. Anyone already into the series is more than likely way ahead of me and has this sitting on their shelf. Take that last step and join the party.
Final Score: 12/13
