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Author’s note: We’re not going to reveal spoilers because we invite you to read the comic as we think that is definitely worth your time.
We have covered the first two volumes of the Last of the Irin series and for good reason: we’re talking about perhaps one of the most underrated comic book projects in the market right now. And while I have offered criticism for the series in the past in some aspects, I have to say that the series continues to improve volume after volume, constantly ironing out those flaws and keeping it tight and efficient, which is what comics should do.
The plot of the series, and in this third volume of the trilogy in particular, is a bit straightforward: It is the conflict between the Yahweh and Baal, the Canaanite Gods, who are the older version of God and the Devil respectively in the world of this storyline. Their conflict has transcended through the ages and they have become quite influential in a lot of events that have happened in human history, playing a key role in many of them.
Naturally, the conflict arrives in the modern-day and a young Armenian immigrant girl growing up in Sweden has to be the one to face this entire situation in order to avoid an even greater catastrophe.
The concept, as I have mentioned in previous reviews, is ambitious and certainly has a very interesting world-building, feeding a lot from history and many different cultures. In that regard, it’s something that you don’t see that often in modern-day comics and it shows you how even today there are people pushing the envelope when it comes to the medium.
However, my initial criticism for the first volume was that the series had a tendency for meandering, often feeling a bit disjointed at times. That was swiftly fixed in the second volume, with the story being a bit more compact and to the point, and I think that progression has reached its logical conclusion with this third volume, being a lot clearer and maintaining the same larger-than-life writing style, but in a more effective manner.
I have to say, following this story since it came out, I can’t help but feel a degree of pride in the growth that the series has had and it is a testament to the consistency of the creative team. I think this third volume is the best of the series not only because it delivers a solid and satisfying story, but also because it shows how the creative team of this project really grew and evolved.
I still maintain that the art is not really of my liking, but I would argue that is mostly due to my own personal tastes than the technical virtues or flaws of the artist. After all, the comic still looks visually appealing, and just because it doesn’t suit my personal preferences, it doesn’t mean that it won’t work for other readers.
It’s hard to review the third part of a storyline because it can often lead to offering spoilers or not giving a full perspective of the comic as a whole. However, I maintain that this is the best volume of the series and a nice progression of everything that this creative team has learned in recent times.
Truly a recommend.
