4.48/5.0 StarsRating if the Book Were a Movie: PG-13/R
Creative Team:
Writers: Roberto Xavier Molinari and Andrea Lorenzo Molinari Artist: Jamie Martinez Rodriguez Letters: El Torres Cover: Luca Meril Editor: Alexandria P. Molinari
Ratings:
Story: 4.7 Stars Artwork: 4.3 Stars Cover Artwork: 4.3 Stars Dialogue: 4.6 Stars Mechanics: 4.5 Stars Editing: 4.5 Stars
About the Book:
The Shepherd is a series about a father and son named Val and Lawrence Miller. Val died of a drug overdose as a teenager. Not being able to cope with the loss of his son and sensing Val still needed him, Lawrence took his own life. They found one another in the afterlife in the Seam. The Seam is not Heaven. Nor is it Hell. The Seam is akin to Purgatory. This is where troubled souls go before they can go to Heaven. These troubled souls aren’t Hell-bound. They are not ready to be happy though. Until the troubled souls resolve their personal issues, they remain in the Seam. The personal issues can range from fear to guilt to regret and everything in between.
The pace at which the issues are resolved is completely up to the troubled soul. Even after the issue has been resolved, the troubled soul may not want to cross over to Heaven. Val and Lawrence didn’t. Instead, they have taken it upon themselves to help guide the troubled souls during their time in the Seam. This also allows Val and Lawrence to work on their own dynamic as father and son. They love each other, but like any parent/teenage relationship, they periodically have a knack for making each other angry. The story arc begins with Val taking a walk to clear his head. During his walk, he discovers a new troubled soul, Maria. Val is the perfect person to help Maria through this difficult time. Maria is in her late teens, scared, and confused. He can relate. It wasn’t that long ago that he was there himself. Unlike the other souls he’s encountered, Maria has a shackle and chain on her ankle. Clearly, she is tethered to something. This tether will push both Maria and Val to their limits while teaching them what matters most.
Reader’s Notes:
I read the first issue of The Shepherd: The Tether in the spring of 2023. When I did, I spoke to how well it separates itself from its contemporaries. That still holds true. I did not get the opportunity to keep up with this title as my workload at my “9-5” coupled with the copious stack of books in my reading queue kept me busy. I was thrilled to get the opportunity to pick up where I left off and read the entire TPB in one sitting. The fourth story arc in the series packs a tremendous punch. This book teaches us it is okay to have emotions. It’s fine if you are sad. It is okay to be angry. It is acceptable to be scared. There is nothing wrong with the fear of forgetting someone when they have died. The Shepherd: The Tether also teaches healthy ways to properly channel these emotions. It teaches us to accept. It teaches us to embrace difficult moments. If we are very fortunate it can even help us learn to forgive and make amends. I truly wish this title had been out when my father passed away. It would not have made things better. It is never easy saying goodbye to your best friend and mentor. It would have helped me make a much smoother transition though.
I also appreciated the disagreement between Val and Lawrence. You can tell they have had this discussion before. Val is tired of hearing it. As the parent of a teenager, I can tell you those panels are spot on. The creative team does a tremendous job portraying both sides. Lawrence does not like having these discussions, but his fatherly instinct to protect Val is still in overdrive. It’s easy to see Val shut down.
After that, we don’t see Lawrence for most of the story arc. It works better this way. This story is about Val’s coming of age. It is his turn to learn about love, loss, and selflessness. He died before he could experience these emotions. It does not get easier being in the Seam.
I liked the artistic style this cover was done in. It is a nice change of pace from the norm. It isn’t gaudy or flashy with the main character flexing while they strike a pose with a weapon. We don’t have a female character with enormous breasts that are strategically covered with a falling leaf, sword blade, etc. Instead, we have Maria in chains with Val. It’s an outstanding reminder that we don’t need sex and violence to sell comic books.
The artwork on the interior pages is solid. We get magnificent details on facial expressions in this book. Given that this title is more of a drama than an action story, that is vital. I particularly enjoyed the coloring on the tiger.
The Shepherd: The Tether touches on some dark topics. It does so in a way that allows us to embrace our own mortality while learning about love and forgiveness. As a geek on a budget, I believe The Shepherd: The Tether is a must-read for any parent with teenage children. This book will be immensely helpful when facing conversations that have the potential to be awkward.
The Shepherd: The Tether will be coming to Kickstarter in the very near future. Be in the loop! Go to the Kickstarter page or app and search for this title. Then click “notify me on launch” and you will be able to back this amazing book!