Skybound/Image Comics 2017
Created & Written by Chris Pasetto & Christian Cantamessa
Illustrated by Lukas Ketner
Coloured by Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Lettered by Clem Robins
No one has ever survived the labyrinth. Now it’s kill or be killed as Theseus leads his fellow tributes through its many horrors in a desperate bid to escape. But all paths lead to the dreaded minotaur.
By the Gods! This was something to witness and wow good on ya boys, Chris and Christian (Chrisx2) because not only do we get to see some fantastic characterisation going on here but we also get the full on Greek Mythology that we crave when dealing with something like the Maze and the Minotaur. While I could’ve done without Aegeus and Medea this issue they do serve to demonstrate that Theseus is a dreamer and not exactly a hard guy which we can see on our own.
Wow Lukas and Jean-Francois do some utterly breathtaking work on the interiors here. That first two page spread showing the maze from on high was seriously the best thing to set the stage for what we see this issue. The angles and perspective we see in the page layouts not to mention the utilisation of backgrounds here really make this pop. There’s power and emotion in the work that is undeniable to experience. The linework, the faces, the bodies you name it all of it has this quality to it that sucks you into the story so fully.
Then to meet up with the Princess who herself is now stuck inside the maze well that was just an added bonus, though how she plans to survive if there’s no exit is beyond me. So it’s a game of find your people and keep them safe from the Minotaur all the while trying to figure out a way to kill it. I have to say that the whole premise while not new is being handled extremely well. The dialogue especially by Theseus about who the Minotaur really is as he navigates his way gives me hope there’s more to him than meets the eye.
The horror aspect of the story shouldn’t go unnoticed either. As the group gets split into two and then to see it’s members picked off one by one by various means that aren’t necessarily the Minotaur itself is superbly done. It means they are fighting the Maze as much as the creature itself. This adds to the whole mystique of the place and makes Theseus’ job of keeping his people alive that much harder.
The story structure and pacing here is phenomenal. Add into the mix the kind of characterisation we’re getting and this is moving at a perfect clip. I love the boys are able to keep things moving forward while delivering both a human interest, Theseus’ self-discovery, and a horror story all woven together to blend with the mystique and majesty that is Ancient Greece.
This is how storytelling is able to capture the mind, heart and soul and still find a way to mesmerise and terrorise at the same time.