EYES ON THE RED EYES SERIES PART 1
Enter Red Eyes. Seven heroes, one desperate mission. No hopes of reinforcements. No chance to surrender. Deep behind enemy lines.
The land of Fayan was conquered twenty years ago by the Hunters of Norjhallei. Kionde Fair, The General, started an Insurrection movement in an attempt to free Fayan. For twenty years he’s been fighting, to no avail, the hunters are just too strong.
Now Faerin Fair, Son of The General, is on a mortal quest to save his land. His mentor, Feonel Grieryan is a legendary hero of the Insurrection and the only man who can see this mission fulfilled. Together with seven elite insurgent heroes they embark on a secret, near-impossible mission. A last-ditch effort to save Fayan from the cruel invasion of the Hunters.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
The Red Eyes series is written by David Feed. David is the writer and producer of the series. He studied design management in Switzerland and has been working on movies, music videos, and personal projects for the last fourteen years. Red Eyes is his dark fantasy project, inspired by Basilisk (manga) and The Dirty Dozen (movie).
The Red Eyes series has a large creative team. The interior Art is done by Christian Culicelli (issues 1 – 3) and Rafael Chrestani (3) with colors by Frederika Valova (1) and Farah Nurmaliza (2 – 3). The lettering was done by David Feed (1-2) and Eric Weathers (3).
The cover artwork was done by Christian Culicelli (1-2), Odysseas Theodoratos (2), Frederika Valova (1-2) and Andrea Guardino (3). Design work is done by Alessia Sagnotti (1). Editorial work was by Mara R. (2) and David Feed (1,3) and the logo art was by Von Klaus. The team was also assisted by guest artists Rod Luper, Jessy White, Matt Crotts, and Jose Garcia.
THE BOOK
The Red Eyes series is an action fantasy adventure for mature audiences. Red Eyes graphic novels are printed on quality paper in full color perfectly bound with a printed spine and soft cover. Issue 1 has 60 pages, issue 2 has 60 pages, and issue 3 has 72 pages.
Each book has a credits page and a thank you page. Issue 1 has a characters’ page with Fayan’s Most Wanted”, a 2-page map, bonus art, and additional world-building information. Issue 3 also has the characters’ page, a one-page map, and an art page.
The books (issue 1 third printing, issue 2 second printing, issue 3 first printing) were published in 2013 by Romero Comics and Games e. U. owned by David Feed.
RED EYES: THE OBSIDIAN KNIGHTS SAGA
Feonel Grieryan, a legendary hero of the insurrection, is sent on a secret mission that could save Fayan from their conquerors, the hunters of Norjhallei. Master Koinde Fair, leader of the Fayan insurrection, sent his son, Faerin Fair, on this near-impossible mission. Faerin will honor his father’s name or die a hero’s death, for the glory of the insurrection.
THE BEGINNING
For centuries, the hunter people of Norjhallei had been slaving for their overlords: the Masked Riders of Reyhalia. Searching for the legendary treasure the Red Icon. According to folklore, it had fallen into the granite mines of Norhjhallei. For their continued subservient labor, the Reyhallian riders gifted them with five swords of obsidian fire.
Twenty years ago, when Srav the II rose to the throne in Norjhallei, a massive gravity storm shook the continent to its core and unearthed the legendary Red Icon. Srav the II however coveted the mythical icon for himself and he dared to play a dangerous game of deceit against the Reyhallian Masked Riders.
THE RISE OF THE INSURRECTION
With the power of the obsidian fire swords, the Norjhallei hunters launched a cruel conquest of their neighboring rival kingdoms. Total victory was at hand when disquieting reports of a Fayan insurrection reached their ears.
King Srav II organized elite hunter bands to keep the Fayan insurgents at Bay. His main attention though, was towards the black diamond mines in the desert kingdom of Demersia. The power of the obsidian swords gave them victory in war. However, the gift from the Reyhallians had taken a toll on the King and his men, darkening their minds, and twisting their flesh.
Our heroes Feonel and Gaerin are accompanied by Kemali Raio who has a gravity power stone, Neitham Sum wanted for theft, extortion, gambling, and vandalism, Esler Ulan, a humanoid tiger wanted for murder, Readou, an expert marksman wanted for murder, doesn’t talk but is not deaf and Rengel Wolsvil, a monster tamer wanted for lending support to the rebels.
RED EYES 1 The Red Icon
After a chance encounter with the Hunters, the heroes flee these overpowered foes into the Sunken Forest of Fayan. They lose the Hunters but arrive at a town controlled by bloodthirsty mercenaries. Commander Feonel will bring back order into town. Faerin Fair, son of the General is on a mortal quest to save his land.
He was drafted on this crazy mission to redeem himself, to save himself from a death sentence. Feonel Grieryan, a legendary hero of the Insurrection is the only man to see this mission fulfilled. But when they get a hold of a legendary treasure, all hell breaks loose.
RED EYES 2 Obsidian Fire
Days later, the little town seemingly found its peace again. Little did they know that the Norjhallei hunters were closing in and were raging to recover above all one single object, the Red Icon.
Luther Tennenwald, the butcher of Lunyan, one of the highest-ranking commanders in the Norjhalley army, had been tasked by the King to hide their most valuable treasure away from their capital, while their overlords visited them. The King’s gambit would fail if their overlords found the Red Icon in Norjhallei. Luthur had to bring the treasure to General Deimas immediately.
The Hunters catch up to the Insurgent Heroes and display the power of their obsidian fire weapons. The heroes have to escape again and avoid hurting the peasants under the control of the enemy. But unavoidably the Heroes and the Hunters face each other.
RED EYES 3 Escape from Silent City Part I
Feonel and his crew now had to run away from the ruthless relentless madman Luther and figure out, what the mysterious Red Icon was, to begin with. The mission leads them to Yelmir, the Silent City, a merchant hub on neutral grounds. They thought it would be a safe place to hide from hunters.
The place is ruled by a Lamprey Queen, a monster from the time before The Fall. As long as the inhabitants keep quiet, she is dormant and the city is prosperous and in peace. Things don’t go as planned and suddenly the heroes are trapped inside a collapsing city full of Hunters, monsters, and more. Will they be able to escape from Silent City?
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Red Eyes series is a gripping tale of heroism and sacrifice set in the war-torn land of Fayan.
THE STORY
The story follows Faerin Fair, the son of the valiant General Kionde Fair, as he embarks on a perilous mission to save his homeland from the oppressive Hunters of Norjhallei.
Alongside six elite insurgent heroes, Faerin navigates through treacherous landscapes, facing formidable foes and moral dilemmas. The series is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Each volume is a gripping chapter in the larger saga, with the heroes facing increasingly daunting challenges as they strive to free Fayan from the clutches of the Hunters. From the Sunken Forest to the Silent City, the heroes’ journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty, yet they press on with unwavering determination.
THE ART
The artwork vividly captures the tension and drama of the narrative. The artwork reminds me of the style of Guardians of the Erloth. I like the introduction to the story, the map, and the character’s wanted page.
The first and second issues have partial nudity. The story itself so far is not a complicated story that only adults would understand, it has the potential for a broader audience but the art limits that. However, the creator has to right to take the story in whatever direction he wants and there are still more stories to tell.
CONTENT RATING
I support maintaining age-appropriate content on the internet. That’s why I’m glad that most of the adult-oriented art was covered up in the campaign. Just because something is online doesn’t automatically make it appropriate for all to see. Sometimes people tend to forget that little children to adults have access to the internet.
CONTINUITY
The Obsidian Knight saga is the first season of the Red Eyes story. The story will be told in 10 issues. The story arc thus far is planned to be told as follows: Supplemental 1: Blood Rain, Red Eyes 1: The Red Icon, Red Eyes 2: Obsidian Fire, Red Eyes 3: Escape from Silent City I, Red Eyes 4: Escape from Silent City II, and Red Eyes 5: Descend into the Dark Underground.
The art for the covers of issue 4 and 5 are part of the bonus material in issue 1. It is always great to see that creators have a plan for telling their stories and it is always reassuring to know that you are investing in a complete story arc and will not be left halfway behind.
THE CAMPAIGN
The crowdfunding campaign for the Red Eyes series was first done on Indiegogo. There I selected the Catch-up Perk that includes a physical copy of issues 1-3. I received the 3 books and 3 prints. The frequency of campaign updates via the Indiegogo platform varied from monthly to quarterly.
The package was received with no issues at customs. The books were bagged but not “boarded” which can be annoying for those who want to conserve the books in their best condition.
Later a second chance campaign was published on Fund My Comic, a relatively new crowdfunding platform for independent comic book creators where in addition to the individual 3 issues, a volume 1 hardcover was offered containing all 3 issues. I never received an email about this campaign.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Red Eyes series is an interesting tale set in the war-torn land of Fayan, following Faerin Fair as he leads a group of elite insurgent heroes on a dangerous mission to free their homeland from the oppressive Hunters of Norjhallei.
The narrative explores themes of heroism, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit, drawing readers into the heart of the action. While this action fantasy adventure has the potential to appeal to a broader audience, the partial nudity limits its accessibility to a younger audience.
The Red Eyes series is an entertaining read for fans of dark fantasy, offering a richly detailed world and a cast of compelling characters. Most importantly it seems to have continuity which is very reassuring for those who want to invest in complete story arcs.
Given the extensive world-building and supplementary content already available, it would be highly beneficial to showcase them online via a dedicated website featuring an online store for newly printed issues.
Additionally, there’s an opportunity to enhance brand visibility through promotional efforts and improve communication with both existing and potential customers by implementing a regular newsletter. It’s worth noting that the crowdfunding campaign for Red Eyes 4 is anticipated to launch in May 2024.
Interested in more titles? Check more GRAPHIC NOVELS from the “EYES ON” series wherein I documented my experience with supporting crowdfunded entertainment and shared my notes on the products I received.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
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