Holy Avenger - Overview

Overview

The series lasted for 42 issues (40 regular ones and a 2-issue "post-end" story), drawn with manga-inspired art. It ended only because authors wanted to give an ending to the plot, following the tradition of manga - which, unlike many U.S. comics (on which format most Brazilian comics are shaped), have a beginning, a development and an end.

There are many references to anime titles on the issues. From anime theme songs being sung by the characters (namely by the elven mage Niele, who makes constant references to Pokémon throughout the series, sometimes confusing main character Lisandra) to anime characters hidden among the crowd.

The success of the series can be seen in its spinoffs, which include special issues that portray each of the main characters individually, an audio CD with professional voice actors playing the characters, an RPG book based on events in the series, an artbook with original sketches, and even a new edition, which sends the comics back to newsstands, this time with new covers and more pages per issue.

The English name Holy Avenger was given to the series because it can both refer to a famous D&D magical item and one of the main characters, the Paladin. A Portuguese name would have been gender-specific to indicate either the sword or the fighter, and thus wouldn't work the same way. In this case, the title becomes "Vingador Sagrado" (male gender) or "Vingadora Sagrada" (female gender).