Fifteen years ago, our world was overrun by creatures of myth; orcs, dragons, and other nameless horrors threw the entire planet into total chaos. Today, the shattered remnants of civilization must fight just to survive in a deadly new era of violence and mayhem. While a powerful sorcerer marshals his forces, a group of warriors embark on a journey to reclaim our world from the growing darkness.

A post-apocalyptic fantasy, western, is probably the simplest way to summarise The Realm the new series co-created by Seth M. Peck and Jeremy Haun. After some sort of apocalypse, humanity has returned to a medieval like society in order to survive. Enter Will Nolan, an escort/bounty hunter/bodyguard who seems to thrive in this new world. I’m curious to see where this story manages to go forward, and how they explore this strange world which is a mix of fantasy and zombie apocalypse.

The Realm‘s artwork manages to balance violence, action, and a dark atmosphere well. There’s a good amount of flowing action scenes throughout and the issue keeps readers on their toes. We’re also briefly introduced to two mysterious unnamed characters, a sorcerer, and a barbarian warrior, each with a real world vibe to them but at the same time mixing in fantasy tropes. The world is an interesting landscape with art that’s full of details giving us hints about this world and telling it’s own story.

The first issue is a solid start of what is sure to be the next hit that everyone will want. A great beginning and a great mix of genres.

Story: Seth M. Peck Art: Jeremy Haun
Color: Nick Filardi Letters: Thomas Mauer
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review