The Lucent: Painted Death Softcover (Book 2)

I’ve backed over 200 ComicBook campaigns on indigogo, and the Lucent is one of the best books I’ve read so far.
The art is as good as anything you would expect from a mainstream indie comicbook.
But Where the comicbook truly shines is its writing.
I’d best describe it like ‘the Matrix meets the Ninth Gate’ but if the result was written by Grant Morrison.
(And I’m a big Grant Morrison fan so that’s high praise.)
Great pacing,great storytelling and great dialogue and great character development.
Really looking forward to the Ember Crown :)

It has crossed my mind to donate the book to the local library to get some more eyeballs on it.
That said, librarians tend to be commies so… Who knows what the future holds?!!

I read this book and it SUCKED... me in!

Yep, you read that right—I was hooked! It's not every day a book grabs you so hard you forget you're not actually in Paris, dodging danger on every corner. It's like watching a blockbuster movie... only without the screaming kid in the background. This book is a FANTASTIC rollercoaster ride packed with action and suspense! If you're looking for an adrenaline rush in literary form, The Lucent is the book for you! Check out where you can get about copy in the comments below.

The 2nd installment of The Lucent adds more pieces to the puzzle that has ensnared Ella. The art is a feast for the eyes, making the "special effects" and dream sequences pop off the page.

What do I think of Lucent 2 Painted Death?

I find the story engaging. I was even looking up locations in London to see the extent of Travel as Ella was being chased; and the possible location of the Secret Island of Utnapishtim. The mystery widens and it's getting more interesting. Having to wait 2+ years for the next chapter is challenging. By the time it comes around, I've forgotten most of the story details. So I'm relying on the extensive notes... a Cliff-Notes of sorts... to help me ramp up.

Lucent 2 expands on the background of the original characters with surprises at every turn. While introducing new intriguing characters like Jude and Amber. The pages are chock full of action and intensity. It starts where Lucent 1 left off, with the Artemas incident. From there on, it's nothing but an intense chase scene with short rest spots and some flash backs. I found myself scanning the pages and looking for symbols and clock faces and wondering if it's relevant or not. The urge to understand the mystery grows as you read on and more is revealed. The story is expertly paced with the action scenes and the trickling of new information. The Dialogue feels natural and the situations realistic. I was deeply entrenched in the story.

The Art is excellent. I was impressed with the detail in the interior furniture and the intricacy of the cityscape: really beautiful lines and extensive detail. The bricks are drawn in; the rooms contain art-deco for that prestigious look; each skull in the sanctum is drawn in; the trusses in open architecture like the Eiffle tower and scaffolding are intricately drawn; the Speckles of amber around Ish'um feel meticulously dotted in.

The coloring is amazing, too. Bancroft diversifies his colors so that different parts of the book feel like a new setting as he expertly uses color to set the mood. The Artemis scenes are very Blue & convey a sad emotional event. The West End scene is blue/yellow/green which communicates the feeling of intense anxiety, but yet holding a hint of tranquility, safety / protection. The Ancient scenes are mostly Yellow and portray a feeling of foreboding intrigue. And beyond the mood "lighting" the coloring is vivid and crisp.

You can tell Bancroft put in a lot of work into Lucent. It's engaging to read and beautiful to look at. I Highly recommend this series as I eagerly await for the next chapter. I indicated the challenge of having to wait 2 years for each chapter, However, expediting this would be an injustice to the quality of the product. So, the wait is So worth it!