Comixology Originals 2018
Written by Kel McDonald
Illustrated by Tyler Crook
When you become an adult, you have to prove yourself, at least that's how it works for the Stoneport thieves. Ave has decided to illegally harvest healing moss from the Stone King, a mighty giant who roams the lands. Her theft goes even better than she could have dreamed. The biggest gem she's ever seen is her prize. But is that prize worth the consequences?
With so many different outlets for new original content it means that we have to pay attention to what is coming out or what is out that don’t know of yet. Or let people like me tell you that it’s out there and it’s something you need to know about. By the by I fell in love with Tyler’s work with Harrow County and every time I see his work advertised somewhere I know it’s something I am going to have to read. Kel on the other hand is an unknown to me, I have heard of her and I am not sure if I have something from her but as far as I can tell I haven’t. So these two factors had me extremely excited to dive into this series.
The way this book opens is sensational! This is Tyler doing what he does best by giving us this amazing storytelling through visuals. This direction was incredibly smart and it garners the kind of interest and piques the curiosity in ways that are innumerable. There is a lot of information going on here without anyone having to needlessly over explain and I think it is one of the most refreshing changes I have seen in quite some time. This really is the first half of the book and what I love is that ability to tell a story, engage the reader and completely ignite the imagination as we see it done here.
The only way that I know that Ave is a girl is because we’re told that. Otherwise she’s very androgynous in appearance and it took me by surprise when the feminine reference was used in regards to her. What this does is create a story in the readers mind, creating a scenario as to why that is and if it’s never publicly said I am okay with that because it’s part the charm surrounding her. The characterisation is phenomenal and you get the feeling and sense behind her actions and what motivates her. It is so easy to find how relatable she can be to the reader.
Okay so there really are no superlatives that can adequately describe the way Tyler’s work makes me feel. He has this amazing ability to bring the characters and this world to life through this watercolour work which is stunningly gorgeous. The attention to detail here is so nice to see and the creativity and imagination that we see on display here is gorgeous. That giant schnauzer looking beast is sensational and I fell in love with him instantly. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off a stupendous eye for storytelling. Also I am a huge fan of the way that we see backgrounds being utilised within these pages. They help flesh out this world beautifully and give us a great sense of size and scope to the story.
So the idea of the Stone King is fantastic and what Ave has done is going to be more epic than anyone can begin to realise. I love that this is almost a Dungeons and Dragons style world setting and that Ave is desperate to get out and explore the world beyond the city walls. This feels like a coming of age story unlike any other I have ever read. With some amazing writing and illustrations this is a prime example of how it’s possible to find a magnificent read everywhere you look.