Sláine: Dragontamer

Exceptionally fantastical!

Sláine: Dragontamer is a story about rebellion and anti-authoritarianism. The Celtic warrior Sláine leads the rebellion against the tyrannical Emperor Brutus and his Trojan army. But that's not all that's plaguing Albion, Emperor Brutus has dragons and he spreads fiery terror across the land. Sláine manages to take the fight to New Troy, bringing gore into his wake. Once there, he uncovers dark secrets in Brutus's dungeons. And my oh my, those secrets are twisted.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
- the art is to die for
- the story is dynamic and there is no idle moment
- the gore, blood, and guts / the story is dark and extremely graphic
- the combination of mythology, history and epic fantasy


This is my first encounter with Pat Mill's 2000 AD, so I was confused at some parts - I didn't know any of the characters and I certainly wasn't familiar with the plot. I was lost at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
- fans of dark gritty, gory fantasy
- fans of Pat Mills
- fans of fantastical sword and sorcery sagas

I haven’t visited the the gory, fantasy world of Sláine for years so I am glad to see he hasn’t mellowed.
“Sláine: Dragontamer”, billed as the final Sláine story, sees everyone’s favourite Celtic warrior work through his anger-management issues against the tyrannical Emperor Brutus who is terrorising the land of Albion with his Trojan army and a squadron of fire-breathing dragons. But this is no lame Game of Thrones clone. It is doubtful they would allow this story to be filmed for an episode of that show because Sláine soon discovers the dark secret Brutus is hiding in his dungeons…
The story is beautifully, viscerally painted throughout, with one of the most powerful enemies Sláine has ever faced. Indeed, we get a strong sense that Sláine has finally met his match. I really can’t understate the gore level in this story - it is supremely graphic, with the superb artwork capturing every slice of Sláine’s axe. Many of the panels and single pages are works of art.
As always from Pat Mills, the story itself is a vivid and skilful mix of Celtic mythology, real history and sorcery, told in majestic, sublime language. If this truly is the last Sláine story, then he goes out on a glorious, carnage-filled high.

Author Pat Mills and Leonardo Manco's latest work is a must read for all the graphic novel lovers. I absolutely loved the storyline and presentation. The author's command over language and narration is evident by the way the story has been presented before the readers with utmost care to and attention to details. Overall, it was a great experience. I highly recommend this work and give it full 5 stars.

Happy Reading