A few weeks ago, Netflix premiered the first installment of acclaimed director Zach Snyder’s eagerly anticipated new science fiction fantasy series, Rebel Moon.
Officially titled Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child Of Fire, the film series continues with a sequel, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, scheduled for release on April 19 of this year. Somewhere, there’s an extended Director’s Cut of Part One as well, also meant to be released sometime in the not-too-distant future.
And it’s a strange thing, really.
Rebel Moon – Part One was a wild sci-fi romp and quite divisive within a fervent fan base. Many were critical. I personally thought it was a disjointed offing, a re-tread of better-paced films that skipped over story and characterization in favour of artistic visuals and somewhat incoherent world-building.
It might have been better for the movie to premiere as a longer-form miniseries than standalone films, where it had more time to breathe. It might have been better to see all the shot material in one go instead of the confusingly abridged cut we actually got to watch. In order to flesh out the story and complete it, it might have been better to see Rebel Moon – Part Two now, rather than wait four long months for some sought after resolution.
Still, despite all of the critiques, there must be some accolades for creator and director, Zach Snyder, in taking his chance and putting forth the effort to create something new in cinema as opposed to repurposing old or over-used intellectual property <cough cough Star Wars, superheroes and reimagined Disney offerings cough cough>.
That sense of creativity is not something we get to see much of these days in sci-fi and fantasy genre movie-moving. Long gone are the halcyon days of Krull, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Willow, Legend, Highlander and The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai.
Still, Snyder designed the Rebel Moon universe to traverse multiple forms of pop culture, including the comic book format. Today, we get a new four-part comic book miniseries that focusses on and deepens the backstory of two characters from that universe in Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe #1.
Created by Zach Snyder and written by Eisner Award-winner, Mags Visaggio (Eternity Girl, Kim & Kim, Transformers Vs. The Visionaries, Calamity Kate, Doctor Mirage, Vagrant Queen) and evocatively illustrated by Clark Bint (Blade Runner 2039, Killtopia, Re-Live: Coming Home), Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe shines a light on the Bloodaxe family. In the Rebel Moon film, sister and brother tandem of Devra and Darrian are leaders of an insurgency opposing the Motherworld. In this prequel series, it’s Yisrael Bloodaxe, reluctant ruler of the planet Shasu, who must settle politics and conflicts within his own family and various clans before his planet erupts into war!
If the Rebel Moon film series needed more characterization and a deeper, slower build out of story, fans start to get it here.
Let’s see where Zach Snyder’s universe can take us. Make the run your local comic book shop and pick up Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe #1 today!
You can watch a sneak peek of Rebel Moon: House of the Bloodaxe in the trailer directly below.
