CREDIT: Dark Horse
Rating: 4/5 – Daydreams, Dragons, and a Classic Wizard’s Quest.
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall.
High fantasy isn’t a genre that gets a lot of attention in comics and this is a great example of the genre, so if you’re a fan of lush painted art and fantastic worlds of magic you should be checking out this new mini-series from Dark Horse by writer/artist Michael Hague.
Newt is a wizard’s apprentice who tends to daydream about being a dragon or an eagle when he should be paying attention to his master. He’s being groomed for his Wizard’s Trial and is the youngest apprentice to ever be called for it. There was a minor weakness in the narrative flow that was a bit jumpy at times but it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the story. Hague’s art is spectacular and he has some layouts that really make the pages look like literal works of art that double as storytelling devices.
The key elements of this issue set up a good old-fashioned Wizard’s Quest for Newt that will fill out the upcoming issues. I won’t spoil it here by going into the details except to say I thoroughly enjoyed Hague’s sense of whimsey blended with the fantastical, mysterious, and arcane elements of the narrative to make a hearty stew, and I want another helping. I’ll be back for the rest of this 4 issue series and I’ll be keeping my eye out for more stories by Hague in the future.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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I tried it, and I do love painted artwork and fantasy and whatnot, but I just couldn’t get into this one. Maybe when the trade comes out I might find it a bit better to digest.
It’s only 4 issues, if you didn’t like #1, I suspect getting 2, 3, 4 in a trade is not going to ring your bell either.
Not everybody is going to like every story, just give this one a pass.
(But I loved it…)