Action Lab Entertainment 2019
By Rod Espinosa
The adventure continues! Plucky Clariette and her friends were thrown off the deep end on their first days adventuring when they got caught up in the middle of a huge battle! The ruined royal caravan of Lord Justinius far behind them quickly disintegrating, they are pursued relentlessly in the forest by orcs and their ogre leaders! Their injuries begin to catch up with them as they struggle on to reach a safe haven. But things are just getting worse. Now, something else watches them from the foliage, keeping track of their progress...
This is such a beautiful book. What Rod manages to do here is phenomenal. I love the entire Dungeons & Dragons feel of the series and that Asogog is this Gnoll warrior is beautifully thought out. There is so much going on here and it is nice to see that traditional roles are ignored and that things unfold the way that they are supposed to rather than forced to. I also really do like the way that Clariette is able to find friends and those who will stand by her side no matter the circumstances. This is an all-ages book and it has a lot of aspects to it that really not only showcase this but also team valuable life lessons in some very sneaky ways.
The way that this is being told is utterly delightful. The story & plot development here and how we see the information being released as well how the direction of the book never really waivers is extremely well done. The character development is fantastic and I think the way that the characters are continually fleshed out so that we see them grow and evolve is brilliant. There is optimism and bravery sure but even underlying that is the false bravado and real worry that they possess as well. With the pacing we get to see the twists and turns that change everything on a dime are so well executed. These keep us glued to the seat and eagerly awaiting what's to come next and thanks to the ebb & flow which has been created makes this all feel so much like home, warm and welcoming.
There really is something magical not only about the way that this is being told but also in the way that it comes across to the reader as well. Very few are as bold in the telling of their stories as Rod is here and I think is part of what sets it apart as much as it does.
Now the interiors here are delightful. I love seeing this amazing attention to detail in the backgrounds and how the forest is literally alive thanks to how we see the art. The characters at times feel a little discombobulated and I kind of want to chalk it all up to the fact that Rod does everything himself so that is bound to happen from time to time. For me it's all about the funky side views but that could just be me and how I see things. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong and talented eye for storytelling. The colour work here is really beautiful and how we see the hues and tones within a colour to create shading and shadows is sensational. I still cannot get over the quality of the backgrounds here.
Sometimes I have to wonder why there is always that one, that one man who has to be the horses ass. In this case, in this scenario they don't need someone like him at all but for whatever reason there is always one like him. It would have been much more apropos if he had died instead. Regardless what is, is and there's no escaping that right now. I am looking forward to how the next chapter unfolds with the predicament they find themselves in at the end of this issue. This really is great for adults and children alike and a wondrous story to talk about.