The Sacrificers Review: Without Sacrifice, There Is No Life.

The Sacrificers took me for a ride that I initially thought I knew where it was going, surprised me just a little, then surprised me again. For the sake of not tarnishing those moments, I will not mention any of them, but what I will say is that in this story, moral obligation and societal obligation require someone to pay the price. Written by Rick Remender and art done by Max Fiumara, under Image Comics, these are names you should remember if you are on the lookout for a well written and beautiful story.

Sacrifices That Need to be Made.

In this world, different humanoid species have to sacrifice someone from their town to the Gods to ensure that they’ll continue to receive their support. Our protagonist, Pigeon, is mistreated by his family by being kept outside the home and forced to overwork, later revealed that it was so he never knew what a good life was, absolving him of any other purpose but his sacrifice. His little sister, Beatrice, tried to make his life easier, such as sneaking in some bread, which fuels his later desire to create a safer future.

All those who are being sacrificed go on a perilous journey, but are rewarded with a haven. It’s a feast like no one had ever witnessed, with games, a pool, and smiles all around. But it’s only a ploy to make them as happy as possible, to extract that happiness, killing them, turning them into a blue liquid, and feeding them to the Gods, so they could live longer.

Person vs. Religion, Society, and Nature?

While the art is beautiful, what really captivated me was the struggled portrayed, and the themes at play, which are explored through the eyes of Soluna, the daughter of powerful God Rokos, and Pigeon, who is just another sacrificial lamb used to appease the gods. Through both perspectives, we get to see a tale of revenge and a redemption arc.

Pigeon is someone who has never known love and always suffered and pushed through, and there’s a “good” reason as to why he’s pushed through that torturous life. It’s through Pigeon’s eyes we get to see how people see the gods, and it varies through resentment and adoration. But only Pigeon and those being sacrificed get to see what’s at the end of their journey. Pigeon is the only one to survive the sacrifice, as they’re lured into a haven with endless food and fun, only to be then taken behind doors and drained off their joy and fed to the gods so they can continue their eternal youth.   

Soluna, being the daughter of the most powerful god in their universe, lives a life completely opposite to Pigeon, and is shown to not only greatly enjoy it but not truly care about what’s happening below her. Even as she sees that her mother, the moon, is against her father’s tyrannical methods, she rarely pays attention to it. It’s only when Pigeon accidentally absorbs her godly powers that she begins to see how life truly is, starting her redemption arc, and Pigeon begins her revenge tale.

The Sacrificer does an excellent job exploring both narratives and developing each character, giving each a reason to continue their exploration into an unknown, pain-filled life or blind, rage-fulled crusade. It puts into question how politics works, the blindfold trust we sometimes put into religion or our very government, accepting that some sacrifices need to be made, even if those above us never sacrifice even a grain of what we have to suffer.

That being said, I wouldn’t say it’s a heavy, philosophical story, just that it has room for people to have such conversations. Pigeon’s action scenes are great, and each punch and slash also progresses his character as he battles with the idea of whether it’s a good thing that he’s doing. Soluna’s redemption arc is just as satisfying as she learns how the world actually works.

The Sacrificers is an amazing read that balances action and character development excellently. The only thing that I am still on the fence about was the ending, and not the ending exactly, but the pacing of it. The buildup, the reason, the payoff, they are all worth it, but I just really wish I got to see more of… Well, I can’t really say without spoiling the end. But if you read this, if this convinces you to dive into an amazing story, let me know below what you thought.

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