World Famous Comics: The Life of Sigmar: Being the Epic Tale of the Warrior-God Sigmar, and the Founding of The Empire (Warhammer)
The Life of Sigmar: Being the Epic Tale of the Warrior-God Sigmar, and the Founding of The Empire (Warhammer)
By: Matt Ralphs Publisher: Games Workshop Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Games Workshop Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 96 Publication Date: December 27, 2005
Intriguing! Rarely have I seen a product that can stand as both a gaming aid and good (if pulpy) read, but Life of Sigmar does both.
Written in the style of a `modern' scholar who has compiled legend and artifact into a coherent story, Life of Sigmar tells of the young prince of a bronze-age Teutonic tribe in the Warhammer world. In this capacity the book is a somewhat clinical (or appropriately scholarly) telling of a coming of age story. Sigmar makes mistakes, learns lessons of wisdom and leadership from his archetypal father, and performs impetuous feats of strength and valor. Although fairly banal, it's evocative of a religious parable or Renaissance-era recording of an oral mythic tradition. Sigmar himself comes across as an Elric or Jesus-like character, vaguely familiar in his brooding seriousness and not defined as much more than an icon. All of this reinforces the `in-character' nature of the book. Nothing revolutionary here, but it's an easy and decently entertaining read, with plenty of orc smashing and epic warfare.
Where Life of Sigmar really comes into its own is in the presentation. Even the necessary copyright information is hidden away in the back, creating an immersive feel and look. The pocket-sized hardbound cover, gold-leaf comet and lettering on the front, and a wide array of woodcuts and simple line drawings give one the impression it was pulled right off of a table in Altdorf and into the real world. It's really quite cool to see woodcuts depicting particular Warhammer style orcs, or oft-mentioned events like the birth of Sigmar under a twin-tailed comet or his mysterious departure to dwarfish lands. I could see this book being utilized in a Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay campaign as a player handout, perhaps as a reference work in an investigative campaign. It would be great for GMs trying to get a feel for texts in the Empire, or flesh out devout NPCs and their beliefs about Sigmar as a man, before he was patron deity of that land. For fans of the Warhammer world in general, it's an atmospheric and thought-provoking view into the output and beliefs of Imperial citizens.
Overall, the book was a decently entertaining read and unique `inside-out' view of the Warhammer world and its history.
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