CREDIT: Image Comics
Rating: 4.5/5 – Fabulous Fun for Fantasy Fans!
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall
I must admit I was channeling the alliteration of my “inner Stan Lee” when I wrote the tag line for this review, but I’m having so much fun reading this series! This issue in particular reminds me that comics can be fun, while still possessing a dark undertone. There are certainly some grim images/scenes in this issue, courtesy of artist and co-creator Andrei Bressan, but writer and co-creator Joshua Williamson does a great job of pacing the story and providing some really entertaining scenes that made this my favorite issue of the series so far.
At its core, this is a story of a young boy, Mikey, from a world much like our own who ended up in a fantasy dimension and grew to adulthood there, growing into a mighty warrior. He returns to Earth only to find that time in the other realm moves much faster than it does here. He’s a adult and only about a year passed for his family. Without giving away too much of the story, Mikey reunites with his older brother Brennan (still a kid and we get some great age-reversal as the younger brother is now an adult) and this episode has some really great scenes of Mikey & Brennan together. Some may find the issue slow, but I reveled in Williamson building the story, including a really surprising panel on the third page from the end that really illustrates the man Mikey has become. A great use of a reveal on the page-turn by Williamson and Bressan!
Fantasy fans like me who enjoy these kinds of “fish out of water” stories where a character is pulled out of one world and thrust into another should check this series out. Birthright layers this theme in a number of ways so far and it appears we’ll be getting even more layers in upcoming issues. Creators Joshua Williamson and Andrei Bressan have created a cast of characters I really like, put them into a situation that I’m really curious how they’re going to work their way out of, and made me care about that happening. Essential ingredients for me loving a series. I’m guessing that some of the plot points revealed so far are misdirection while others are seeding some serious conflict points to come. I’m looking forward to seeing where Williamson takes us in the upcoming story arcs.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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