‘There Came a Reckoning…’ The year is 2097, but the future is not our own.
Some great words from the intro to Deadlands: Hell on Earth reloaded [2012] from Pinnacle Entertainment Group.
This is the Savage Worlds, a mechanic that I love more than perhaps anything save AD&D 1E [and that is a tough call], and this alternate reality setting is about as much fun as you can have. Combining the Wild West with a hell-born apocalypse that begins almost a hundred years in the future, it is a supreme mash up of all types of cool storylines.
Still, I’m here to speak a bit about the art, as I always do, but remember this is a stunningly good game so I strongly suggest you take a look if you ever have the opportunity.
With a dramatic digital cover by artist Carmen Cianelli, the game starts off with a sexy bang and doesn’t look back. Cianelli is a sublime talent, and there are shockwaves of Todd Lockwood in her digital brush. Although her work doesn’t appear on the interior, her contribution helps make the book, and I wish I could see more of her in the genre.
Inside, more than two dozen other artists bring Hell on Earth alive with all kinds of digital post-apocalyptic goodness in full color glossy pages. Each chapter has a full page splash painting, some reminding me of Baxa during his Dark Sun height and others standalone new talents pieces that create brilliance all their own.
For me, the book is a streamlined half-comic homage, and I enjoyed the choices involved as they complement each other very well. Sure, it might not be my style, as I’m far too old school and basically irrelevant in today’s market, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate talent. This book has that in spades.
Artistic Rating: 3.5 [Out of 5]
