It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If we follow that logic, comics become an unstoppable communicating force, and Step by Bloody Step is one of the best examples of this. With a story by Si Spurrier, art by Matías Bergara, colors by Matheus Lopez, graphic design by Emma Price, and glyphology by Jim Campbell, this comic is a wordless fantasy story that will leave you speechless.
The story begins with the awakening of a girl, she has no memories of who she is or where she is, but she is not alone. An armored guardian is there to protect her and lead her into a dangerous path from which the girl can not stray. Together they go through a world of dangers and wonder on a journey that will unveil the complexities of nature, civilization, and the passage of time.
I can’t remember the last time I was completely left in awe by a comic. When I finished the last chapter of Step by Bloody Step, I had no words to describe just how amazing the experience had been. I still haven’t found them, but regardless, I will try.
The first thing that strikes you when reading the first couple of pages is just how beautiful Bergara’s art is and how well Lopez’s colors complement it. There is so much to say about the work of those two on this comic (and I will), but I was stunned about how gorgeous this book looks, from start to finish. Even in the more intense and violent moments, the art of this comic didn’t stop amazing me on every page.
That being said, the most incredible part of Bergara and Lopez’s work is just how strong it is in terms of the narrative and its communication power. Bergara’s attention to detail works wonderfully when it comes to world-building and storytelling. The lack of words is no problem when the characters’ expressions and body language tell you everything you need to know about what is going on. In addition, Lopez’s colors create a wonderful atmosphere and set the mood of each scene perfectly.
Even with all that, my favorite part of the art in these books is the splash pages. Bergara and Lopez’s art combine perfectly to show us some breathtaking landscapes, some epic moments, and just how big the scale of this story is. Each splash page in this book has a purpose in the story. Each of these moments immerses you completely in the world of the book and makes the journey of these characters feel simultaneously extremely personal and epic in its proportions.
Si Spurrier does a great job with the story, giving us a journey that could be part of the pantheon of our most popular ancient legends and myths. Its structure reminded me a lot of Norse mythology, and its setting created a wonderful combination of Lord of the Rings, Asimov’s foundation, and something entirely new. In a story, without a single dialogue, the characters feel fleshed out and unique without losing the archetypal quality that makes them resemble the characters of a Greek tragedy.
Of course, the book would not be as good without Campbell’s wonderful job with the glyphology, which says a lot without holding any obvious meaning, and without Price’s excellent design. Both of their work makes this comic feel like well woven tapestry.
A classic legend made in our times, Step by Bloody Step is definitely one of the year’s best comics and might even be one of my favorite comics of all time. This book is a perfect example of the outstanding potential of the comic medium and one I can’t recommend enough.