ONE PATH
Book One
written and illustrated by Greg Broadmore
In writer/illustrator Broadmore’s graphic novel, a tribe of cave women and girls fights for survival in a primeval, uncaring world.
As this first installment begins, an all-female cave tribe prepares for yet another epic struggle against the dinos ravaging its ranks. It’s an unhealthy status quo that the novel’s titular character is determined to overcome, with rough justice awaiting all who sidestep her dictates—as the beheading of one character, caught stealing from the tribe’s reserves, makes plain. This execution, One Path tersely informs the band, leaves “one less thief to feed among us today.” However, the tribe has no choice but to follow its leader “who has dreamed the long dream, and seen the Great Quarry,” because humans are always in danger of oblivion. As the story unfolds, the tribe wages a blood-drenched battle against the dinosaur pack that marks an uneasy turning point for the tribe’s members—but the biggest, meanest T. Rex of this particular valley has plans of its own. One Path must flee for her life to avoid an unwanted sacrifice, which appears to tee up a sequel. Present-day readers, who are surrounded by endless virtual distractions and tech-driven comforts, may find it easy to forget humankind’s primordial origins. This fanciful novel, in which humans live alongside dinosaurs,effectively presents a world where success is never a given and survival is measured out in weeks or months. This is as dark and visceral as heroic fantasy gets, particularly in comic form—and for readers who enjoy the genre, this book delivers the goods, along with the gore.
The pull of tradition collides with the reality of progress in this grim and graphic fantasy tale.