The Pledge
"The Pledge" is the sixth issue of the Gargoyles: Dark Ages comic by Dynamite Entertainment. It was released on March 6th, 2024. [1]
- Writer/Creator: Greg Weisman
- Pencil Artist: Drew Moss
- Color Artist: Martina Pignedoli
- Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
- Editor: Nate Cosby
- Main Cover Artist: Clayton Crain
Contents
Solicitation
The End of an Era!
The Gargoyles attempt to reason with a Dragon - and the resulting battle, high in the skies above Castle Wyvern, will change their destiny forever!
The final chapter of the Gargoyles' legendary origin story arrives in December from writer and Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN and artist DREW MOSS! This 40-page issue includes a new text story from Weisman and all cardstock covers featuring art by CLAYTON CRAIN, ALAN QUAH, MIRKA ANDOLFO, KENYA DANINO, ERICA HENDERSON, and more!
The Story
Opening Quote
A treasure has been taken . . .
Chapter Story
The Tale of the Three Brothers
Alesand comments how on the sixth night of the Light-Bringers' visit, there was no performance, due to Wyvern's attack. She and Antiope arrive just in time to hear Shahrizad begin the final part of the tale:
In 971, news that King Culen finally has an heir to the throne, Constantine, reaches Prince Malcolm and his family in Northern England.
Alesand notes that the story being told has very nearly caught up to the time she and the others had gathered by the fire. Prince Malcolm is in attendance once more, though his attention seems to be elsewhere . . .
Now seventeen, Prince Malcolm convinces Prince Kenneth to fight for Duff’s crown, arguing that if the two of them don’t deal with Culen now, Malcolm’s young nephews Maol Chalvim II and Kenneth III will one day feel compelled to confront Constantine. Kenneth II begins securing allies in Scotland, but realizes he’s going to require additional – and powerful – support. Malcolm and Lieutenant Robbie soon slip into Scotland and arrive at Wyvern Hill. Although they arrived with enough time to be amongst the gargoyle clan before they awakened, they knew that would not leave a good impression. Instead, they wait a mile or so from the cliffside. Prince Malcolm is hesitant about the pending encounter. He's only seen gargoyles from a distance, and he's never asked one a favor before.
As Shahrizad continues her tale, Alesand notes once more how shocked the Prince and her father are once more at just how accurate her account was.
They come across a young gargoyle sentry (that remembers Robbie), who leads them to the rookery to meet the clan’s Rhydderch.
That very gargoyle, also listening to the story, growls at the Storyteller's description of him, but another gargoyle is quick to calm him down.
Shahrizad leaves the tale there, much to Alesand's frustration. While Shahrizad explains that there are others around the fire that can continue the story, Alesand recalls telling the dark-haired lady that she never finishes a story – that she never reaches the end. But the teller of the tale assures her that "no good story ever truly ends. . ."
Review
"Dark Ages: Alliance" concludes in this issue. The final installment of the story feels compressed; perhaps it needed at least one more chapter. But it still contains many fine moments.
The "compressed" feeling comes from Wyvern the dragon's attack, which had to be told in just one issue. The battle is impressive, and makes Wyvern seem a formidable opponent (fighting on furiously despite everything that the gargoyles, the {{Humans|human]] archers, and the Archmage can do to him), but the lack of room meant that he has to call off the fight and go back to his lair in a rage after discovering that someone had taken something from his hoard. (Though his parting words about the outcome of the gargoyles' alliance with the humans are effectively chilling, given what we know will happen twenty-three years later.)
To make up for it, we have some good exchanges in the fight. Mentor continues to hold to the notion that working with the humans is the right course to take (even recalling Verity's statement that human problems become gargoyle problems) - while Wyvern argues that humans are the problem. And the theft from the hoard itself offers material for future stories: the object in question is Excalibur, which Peredur and Blanchefleur recover; Wyvern had stolen the great sword. How he obtained it after its return to the lake (assuming that that took place in the Gargoyles Universe) is as yet unknown, but might be a story for another time. (So, also, is how it went from Peredur and Blanchefleur's keeping to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - appropriately, hidden within another dragon, if of a different nature from Wyvern.) We see Valdez following them as they head for Carbonek, which itself may offer material for future stories. (Excalibur is not the only object taken from the treasure; Angel finds a flute there as well, which she afterwards presents to the Archmage. In an amusing touch, we get a close-up of a goblet amid the gold before Angel picks up the flute; the choice of object for a misdirection moment evokes both "Beowulf" and "The Hobbit".)
For all the "rushed resolution" feeling with Wyvern, the ending pages are charming, as we see hopeful signs for the alliance ahead (even while, again, knowing how it will conclude): Mentor and Prince Malcolm shaking hands, Lefty and a human workman building the castle walls together, and on the last page, Shahrizad beginning her tale to a crowd of humans and gargoyles side by side (with, as a final lovely touch, the Players' dog nestled up beside the gargoyle beasts). And, of course, the caption at the bottom, "Never the end".
We also get the final chapter of "The Tale of the Three Brothers", which concludes on the same note (Shahrizad pointing out "that no good story ever truly ends"). (My only regret about this last installment is that the use of plain text and italics to show which parts of the story were her tale and which parts belonged to Alesand and the others listening to her tale were inconsistent.)
First Appearances
Location
Objects
Tidbits
Cover Gallery
Links
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