Not following a religion shouldn't stop you from enjoying religious folk tales at least that seems to be the idea behind Battle of Destiny. Avalanche Entertainment retell the story of David and Goliath as a glorious sword and sandal epic that focuses as much on adventure, love and the trials of the battlefield both on and off it as it does religion.

Most people have a basic understanding of the story of David and Goliath but Avalanche's story looks at the greater picture and encompasses more than the battle between the two figures. It also tells of the struggles of the fledgling Israelite nation that has many enemies at its borders. The prophet Samuel recognises this and chooses Saul to lead the nation as its King, but Saul soon realises he is nothing more than a puppet who cannot impose his own will on destiny even after securing great victories on the battlefield and the love of the people. Amidst the tension Samuel seeks out another would-be King who is more willing to follow the word of god and thwart destiny. He stumbles upon David, the youngest of seven brothers, and views him as honest, true and virtuous. Samuel believes this makes him a worthy candidate to be King and so begins an epic tale of love, betrayal, war, redemption and the struggle of a people.

At times the dialogue is a little extreme, although if you’re into the whole religion thing it may make it seem more authentic, and the portrayal of David is fairly narrow. There's no real development he's good and he remains good throughout. What is more interesting is the deeply flawed King Saul whose progression and development as a character is complex and well fleshed out. He portrays the best and worst of humanity and you can sympathise with his plight as a puppet King to a degree, powerful yet powerless.  

I also never realised religious tales were so bloodthirsty. I realise some artistic license has been taken with the story but it’s just battle after battle and it makes for exciting reading. It was a shame though that the enemies of King Saul were not further explained. We were pretty much told that the Israelites were right and just and the Philistines and Amakelites bad and they needed to be wiped off the face of the Earth. Some sort of reason as to why they constantly attack would have been nice because it would have created a greater connection with Israelites struggle.

Put any issues you may have with the content aside because the artwork is just great. It’s not your conventional style yet it is a realistic and highly detailed one. It certainly renders the many battles superbly with liberal splashes of blood that would look at home in a Quentin Tarantino film. The brown, sepia tinge to everything suited the desert setting and the intricate armor and weapon designs add a sense of history to the art. I could see the style not being one everyone likes but I feel it does a really good job of selling the world of Battle of Destiny. There is just so much care and detail taken with every page and really enjoyed the way they depicted the battle between David and Goliath. The scene is very similar to the fight at the start of the film Troy and the idea of two opposing armies sending out their best soldier.

Battle of Destiny was certainly not what I expected it to be. Based on a religious story I was skeptical of how much I would enjoy it, but what Avalanche has done is create something much more than that. The portrayal of King Saul is complex, the artwork fantastic and the story surprisingly enjoyable.