Denis Berashevich’s While We Burn anthology operates like a three-part thematic machine, examining what happens to human willpower when it gets crushed between corrupt authorities, indifferent cosmic forces, and pure desperation. Instead of giving us a standard linear timeline, the book uses some intriguing structural tricks. It drops us right into a world ruined by a horrific plague, forbidden magic, knights, and myths, forcing us to piece together how this universe got so broken in the first place.
Title: While We Burn
Creatives: Denis Berashevich (Writer), Utsab Chatterjee (Artist), Donny Hadiwidjaja (Artist/Inker), Jason Wordie (Colorist), Michael Kupitsky (Artist), Jackie Marzan (Letterer/Designer)
Characters: Tavish, Eric (King of the Night), King Teresgas
Format: Anthology Series
Our Rating: 9/10 Stars
Tavish’s Journey: Why Survival Demands Purpose
The opening story centers on “Tavish,” a weary survivor whose entire existence has been boiled down to an endless, gritty struggle against a world that wants him dead. Tavish is a former knight who watched his order get completely wiped out. Through Tavish’s eyes, we get a brutal contrast between the many different ways the world tries to end you. However, like a lot of us, Tavish is the ultimate pragmatist. He runs, he hides, and he does whatever it takes to see tomorrow. But when he connects with a younger companion, his motivation shifts from selfish survival to protecting someone else. Suddenly, his endurance gets an actual purpose.
The Myth of the Romantic Hero: Who is Eric, the King of the Night?
The second story moves this focus on human willpower over to Stifletown to deconstruct the classic trope of the romantic hero. Eric, the self-proclaimed “King of the Night,” starts out looking like classic Robin Hood. He plans to steal the Sphere of Growth from King Teresgas to save the dying common folk. But the story quickly strips away that romance. It exposes how Eric is really just a pawn caught between greedy nobles and opportunistic rebels who use him for their own ends.
Eric’s whole arc explores resistance to the very end, positing that life will absolutely come at you and try to slam you into the dirt. It isn’t even always out of pure malice; however, our humanity is found in the choice to fight back anyway. Even when he gets hit with a brutal betrayal, the story reframes his failure. It proves there is a beautiful, dark dignity in going out entirely on your own terms.
Blind Faith vs. Cosmic Reality: The Psychology of Hope
The final chapter blows the doors wide open in “Pray,” taking the stakes from a local struggle to an absolute cosmic nightmare, delivering a heavy critique of the fragile, dangerous nature of hope and blind faith. It shows how easily your beliefs can be twisted and turned against you if they are never actually tested by reality.
The philosophical punch here hangs on a pretty bleak question. What does hope even mean if you’ve never felt true, crushing despair? Optimistic faith gets dangerous when it detaches from reality. It turns into a cruel psychological trap. Instead of saving you, it just drags out the suffering.
The Art Team: Creating a Dark Souls-Esque Graphic Novel
You can feel the heavy, systemic dread across all three stories thanks to the art team, who channel a Dark Souls vibe that makes the dark themes feel tangible. Michael Kupitsky starts the book with a grimy, raw style, ensuring the monster designs look spectacular right out of the gate.
From there, Donny Hadiwidjaja takes over the pencils and inks for the second chapter. He works alongside colorist Jason Wordie to deliver a heavily shadow-drenched aesthetic. Their use of heavy blacks and muted tones makes you feel the thin, cold night air, effectively turning the castle into a suffocating tomb.
Then, Utsab Chatterjee handles the final act, instantly scaling the visuals up to a mythic level with pages that look like museum-quality paintings. Finally, Jackie Marzan’s lettering and design work anchors the entire project, making the frantic, panicked dialogue fit perfectly into the grimy world. Honestly, the whole book just drips with style.
Is While We Burn Worth Reading?
While We Burn is an extraordinarily dark series with an ending you absolutely do not expect, and that unpredictable subversion pays off in more ways than one. It’s a relentless, unyielding look at survival, sacrifice, and pure grit, showing that no matter how bad things get, humans will always find something to fight for. If you want to see how comic creators can use pure atmosphere and tight themes to elevate a dark fantasy story, you need to read this.
‘While We Burn’ Review: Exploring Human Willpower in Denis Berashevich’s Dark Fantasy Anthology
While We Burn is an extraordinarily dark series with an ending you absolutely do not expect, and that unpredictable subversion pays off in more ways than one. It’s a relentless, unyielding look at survival, sacrifice, and pure grit, showing that no matter how bad things get, humans will always find something to fight for. If you want to see how comic creators can use pure atmosphere and tight themes to elevate a dark fantasy story, you need to read this.
