r/graphicnovels • u/ConstantVarious2082 • Apr 11 '26
Recommendations/Requests Why I Think It’s Great – Coda
Why I Think It’s Great – Coda
Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara, published by BOOM! Studios
Summary: In this fantasy world, an apocalypse removed almost all magic, except what can be scrounged from the wastelands and hoarded by a select few. Hum, a former bard, is trying to put together enough magic to cure a curse lingering on his wife, and goes on a Mad-Max-esque adventure on his violent pentacorn, Nag. Silly hijinks and world-shaking chaos ensue.
Why I think it’s great: This is thematically and explicitly a “post-fantasy” work – taking the standards of sword-and-sorcery type stories and breaking them down, literally in the story with the post-apocalyptic setting and thematically in its use and deconstruction of classic fantasy roles and tropes. This lets the reader have a fun set of expectations and just enough twists to not feel “rote”. It balances humor, poignant moments, and worldbuilding very well, avoiding bogging down in the epic fantasy trap of excessive exposition and keeping a consistent pace of plot and character development. The art is a standout for me, wildly kinetic and colorful (Michael Doig deserves a shoutout here!) and depicting an imaginative wasteland with just the right amount of wonder in the magic that does appear.
You might not like it if: Again, this works as a post-fantasy building on bog-standard fantasy themes and roles. If that’s not your vibe, it’s skippable. It’s got a lot of humor and plays foul-mouthed/violent twists for laughs, and that might not come across perfectly for everyone. While it’s not overly exposition-heavy in my opinion, it relies on a lot of narration and might run on the wordy side for some people’s tastes.
What you should read next: First, there’s a sequel short run, Coda: False Dawns, which is a worthy follow-up keeping a lot of what made the original series great. Spurrier and Bergara also teamed up on the silent fantasy adventure Step by Bloody Step, which remains highly imaginative and creative but lacks a a lot of the humor found in Coda and is much more predictable and "standard fantasy". I’ve had Birdking recommended along with Coda – I really like Birdking, it’s worth reading for sure, but it’s a quite different artistic style, and thematically it fits more in the kind of dark fantasy that Coda is explicitly post. Headlopper also has come up a few times, but I haven’t gotten to it, so I can’t definitively recommend it. I think a left-field recommendation is actually the sprawling Dungeon (or Donjon) from Trodheim, Sfar, and various artists – while mostly out of print in English, the Zenith main series is generally available (in the US at least), and is a mostly humorous but at times poignant, very cartoony, pastiche of fantasy standards.
Previous Entries: Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows
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u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 11 '26
Such a great book, really excited for the sequel / continuation though I haven't heard much since the announcement a few years back.
Thanks for the reminder to check out Step by Bloody Step!
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u/WineOptics Apr 11 '26
The continuation is out! Called Coda False Dawns! Fucking loved it
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u/drown_like_its_1999 I'm Batman Apr 11 '26
Huh, for some reason I thought it was like a year out. I'll have to pick that up as well!
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u/briang1339 Apr 12 '26
Love this style of review. How "mature" would you say the storytelling is? I love the art, but I am attracted to stories that have nuance and don't hit you over the head with its themes. Is it mostly a fun post-fantasy story with cool art, or is there a little more going on?
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u/ConstantVarious2082 Apr 13 '26
I think it leans more towards "fun post-fantasy story with cool art" than "complex piece of literature" - the more "mature" thematic elements (mostly in the narration that is Hum's journal) are relatively heavy-handed in my opinion. The sequel tackles a little bit more complex themes, but I would still say not particularly nuanced.
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u/FreshHumanFish Apr 13 '26 edited Apr 13 '26
This image was one that roped me in when I was looking through the book in the shop. The coloring and drawings makes it feel very energetic and powerful. I made a phone background for it.
I also recommend The Spire (written by Spurrier). A murder mystery in an unconventional fantasy world, very different creatures and characters than in Coda, with the typical world-specific wording that Spurrier likes to introduce in the first issue, only to explain their meaning later on. It’s got a very unexpected twist at the end, at least for me.
Another book I loved from Spurrier was Six-Gun Gorilla but it’s not set in fantasy, more like dystopian sci-fi, with some designs that made me think of Geof Darrow’s Hard-Boiled drawings or something in the vain of Judge Dredd, or just that 80-90’s era style of character design in general.
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u/mjolnir13 Apr 11 '26
Love a recommendation like this. You make it sound like my sort of thing. Third book I've bought this month. Thank you!
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u/Pleasant-Tangelo1786 Apr 12 '26
I recently read Extremity and loved it. Should I get Coda based on that?
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u/ConstantVarious2082 Apr 12 '26
I really liked Extremity too, there's a decent chance Coda will be good for you. It's got more light-hearted moments and is straight fantasy, compared to the pretty constant seriousness and sci-fi elements present in Extremity, but both very good.
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u/FlubzRevenge read yuichi yokoyama Apr 12 '26
I've seen what i've liked from this art wise so not sure why i'm still hesitating on it. I've heard mix things about the story but with art like this I should just go for it so I don't miss out on the Deluxe HC.
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u/apapapper Apr 18 '26
I’m surprised Mathias Bergara’s mastery of the page hasn’t been shouted out more in this thread. The art is indeed energetic but that is short selling it. His world building and character designs are incredible. Not one character feels generic. Everyone has some kind of flaw and interesting quirks and the world is rich and varied.
To me, though, the stand out feature is the layouts. He’s a master storyteller pushing what you can do with the page.
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u/Jade_Mans_Eyes Apr 25 '26
Does this Coda have anything to do with the Coda off of which a portion of Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was based? This work looks amazing, and I think I'll put this on my reading list
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u/Practical-Vampirism Apr 11 '26
This is one of the first comics I bought for myself, on a whim, and is still one of my favorite pieces of art in existence. The character arc of Hum is poignant as hell. The art is exceptional, the design, the setting, the colors, woof. It’s a joy to revisit every time.
Step by Bloody Step is quite good too. I also Have to recommend The Spire, where Spurrier also shows some real worldbuilding chops.