The end of the end – a review of the comic book “Coda” vol. 3

I rated the first volume of Cody very highly and I have not changed my mind to this day. The title was a very strong introduction to a well-defined world combining a fairy-tale land with a post-apocalypse. The second volume did not have this power anymore – it continued to offer a decent story, but a more clichéd one. Fortunately, the third and final part is a return to top form.

In the way of anger

The main character of the story, bard Hum, was ready to resort to deceptions and deceitful deeds, just to be able to prepare a decoction. The magical substance was to lead to the abandonment of his wife, I will save Serka, the desire for revenge on his creators – the Dark Lords. Only that all of this was done by Hum without the knowledge of his wife, who did not want to change at all – which led to their separation at the end of the second volume. The third part therefore begins with the complete humiliation of the bard, who, having lost everything, decides to do the dirtiest jobs for the Złotka mermaid. However, even such a fate is not meant for the hero who has to face the consequences of his previous deeds.

Thus, Hum, who described himself as “the narrator thrown out of his own story,” begins to play a more important role. He has been the least interesting character in the presented world so far, but in the third volume he finally gets some character. The presented world is also developed – in a truly epic style. There have already been skirmishes between the remnants of the warring parties in the pages of the comic, but the scale of the conflict in the last volume reaches the level of the final battle, full of unexpected twists. A lot is happening, and every few pages there is a story volte. I love being surprised by the plot and Spurrier has provided me with many such opportunities.

The original treatment of the story in twelve notebooks in twelve notebooks gave the scriptwriter more control over the plots. The plot of the third volume takes Hum to various places known from previous installments, and some, sometimes minor, elements of the events turn out to have repercussions at the end of the story. Even the dragon skeleton found in the first volume plays a role, and he wants someone to finally scratch his veil. And my favorite five-horns will have more horns (and more!).

Unfinished diaries

In the review of the first part, I praised the off-screen narration (which does not happen to me), which in Spurrier’s comic takes the form of a quasi-diary, a quasi-love letter to Serka. In the third volume, it is carried out in an even more interesting way, because the balloons contain numerous cross-outs, symbolizing the inner battle of the hero’s thoughts. And it stole my heart at the end that (SPOILER!) It turns out at the end that no word was finally written, Hum’s journal is empty, and all these internal battles took place only in the hero’s head.

A beautiful end

In reviews of previous volumes, I have honored the cartoonist Matias Bergara and the equally important colorist Michael Doig, and I can’t say much more now. Only that the escalation of conflicts allowed them to go even more crazy and create a cadre of epic momentum. The portfolio of both artists is still not extensive, but I hope that I will admire their craftsmanship many more times.

You know the true artist both when he finishes and when he starts

I will miss this world, this uncompromising attitude, even those heroes. At the same time, I really respect Spurrier for creating a closed whole. The world is full of endless stories or unexpectedly ending prematurely because the publisher’s numbers do not match. In this case, a complete story was created with a satisfying ending. In all seriousness, I can announce that the three volumes of Cody make up the best miniseries I read in 2020.