A Song of Heroes opens with servile overtures as the winged minions that serve the Red Wizard buzz about in his service. Here we witness how Red Wizard’s oppressive emerald eyes have an evil glint as he looms over his fiefdom, setting the tone for what he is up to.
As we go along learning about the motives of characters, we are made aware of the object they are all in search of; the proto-skull. The multiracial microcosmic universe in which the races are all gearing up to converge over this object that holds a cryptic force. Thrilling as it is to see them in action, the comic illustrates them in great detail and intricacy. The vestigial relic that can possibly unleash chaos upon the world, is coveted by the characters as is assertive from their desperate endeavour to obtain it. The storyline is made more gripping with the ingenious use of colour and artwork that are somewhat reminiscent of 80s cartoons.
The story casts back two million years ago in the Myiagros era showing us a more vivid scenario of how fly-people operated under the subjugation of the reprehensible King Myiagros. They go to extreme lengths to serve their king as they grapple with a life of misery and gunk, some even sinking to cannibalistic levels. King Myiagros’ misrule is evident from the savagery and destitution we see in contrast to the present day world where king Dipteros is a human being.
It’s in the flashback scene that we see the Fly-people in their original form from which they likely evolved into more anthropomorphic versions of flies in the present-day kingdom of Dipteros.
Despite warnings from his son. King Dipteros falls for Red Wizard’s sinister plans and wades deep into the mine where the search for the relic is underway. Monsters bow to the king in hopes that they will be restored to their human forms. Their progressively degenerating body has them in a state of panic and chaos however the King is more concerned about the larger picture of his mining expedition with the Red Wizard that he has struck a profitable deal with.
Spyfly’s character also displays ambivalent shades at different junctures as his intentions aren’t laid bare in the beginning before his troubled backstory plays out over the course of the story which explains more about his intentions. Between mutation, intrigue and strife, we see graphic conflicts and confrontations depicted between characters that have their own personal motives.
Apart from being a page-turner, a thrilling read and an absolute visual treat, the Comicbook also serves as a build-up to the arrival of a saviour that we hope to find out about in the next edition.