In his text piece, Eric Shanower mentions that he receives very little feedback for the single issues of his sublime Age of Bronze, and that this format is not being read in large numbers. This is a shame. I can understand why people prefer to read a complex book like Age of Bronze in trade - the sheer number of characters and sub-plots to keep track of can be daunting, especially given the length of time between issues.
I know that I prefer to read it as each issue appears. First, I see each new issue as a treat, and a rare one at that. Secondly, I feel it's important to support the individual-issue format. It is still the way I'd rather read any comic.
As to this issue - it's a lot looser and more experimental than the usual issue of Age of Bronze. The issue opens with a couple of songs, which provide a framework to check in on a number of the different characters. He also uses dream imagery in a way that is new to the series. From there, the rest of the issue becomes a montage of battle scenes, interlaced with more domestic scenes of life in Troy and in the Achean camp. In this way, he's able to push us through many months' worth of events, while still being able to develop ancillary plots, like the growing love between Troilus and Cressida.
In all, this is a very strong issue of Age of Bronze, and a nice surprise in this week's pull file.
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