The Pull List – Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander #5
Alexander’s forces travel deeper into the lands of Persia, achieving victories and glory on the battlefield. In 331 B.C, Alexander has leads an army of 40,000 Greek soldiers comprised of warriors for all over the Greek isle. His force has caused Darius III to assembled the largest Persian army to take on Alexander’s invading troops, with over 500,000 soldiers from the Persian Empire. Even against overwhelming numbers, Alexander is able to make up man power with precision tactics, reducing the odds to his favor. As Alexander’s force invading the heart of the Persia Empire, the end of this war is about to begin.
The fifth and final issue of this series shows the great battles that would forever cement Alexander into history. His strategies turned the tide of battles against the well equipped foes from the Persian Empire. With all of Darius III’s wealth and reach, he lacked a true tactical mind that would rival Alexanders. Throwing men into the path of Alexander did not strike a critical blow, but only improved Alexander’s image. Frank Miller has built up the last two issues to set the stage of Alexander coming into Persia and conquering as much as possible.
What this issue lacks in dialogue, the visuals make up for it in. Miller and Sinclair show off the rich use of shadows, colors and powerful imaginary to comic eye candy. There are many panels that extend into double pages that can only show off impressive action scenes. It is a change from the early issues with lots of gruesome kills and bloodshed, but this issue focus on the fast ascend of Alexander through battle.
The series ends on a nice conclusion that does fine job of closing the war between the Persians and the Greeks. Fans of original 300 comic might expecting more of a blood bath ending, but should be satisfied with the ending narration of this tale. While Alexander the Great would leave a legacy behind in history, his rise to fame is highly entertaining for any action comic fan.