Image Comics 2019
By Ken Garing
At last, the secrets of Gogor are revealed to Armano by the sorceress Tetra Hedron. And so, the journey continues to the island of Animal-men, but danger abounds as Gogor and Armano encounter the deadly Amphax, a reptilian assassin sent by the Domus.
I have been enamoured with this since I read the first issue and with what Ken is doing there are no signs that I plan on toning that love down. This is consistently finding ways to expand the story and showcase something the reader can see where Armano cannot. Plus when you Tetra Hedron my mind automatically took to the Omegahedron and if you need a better reference for that shame on you. I do like the play on words that Ken uses throughout and maybe that’s just something I see, I don’t know but I know that I enjoy it.
I am a fan of the way he structures this book. Ken creates such a natural ebb & flow to the story as even with the passage of time it all still feels right. I do also like that Tetra has given Armano that respite he desperately needed, bath and laundry, food and drink before talking to him about his current situation. Once Armano gets what she needs him to well the story Is still pretty much getting started and that for me is amazing. This isn’t a story to be told quickly it has to take whatever time it needs to be told. This kind of organic feel to the storytelling is another factor in why I think I am enjoying it so much.
The story & plot development alongside the pacing and this sensational character development impresses me time and time again. I mean even Amphax who is supposed to be this deadly assassin and scary and all he’s getting his fair share of attention as well. So the fact that we can see how the characters are progressing and see how they work in the story itself is huge to me in terms that it keeps this at that all-ages level of storytelling and yet it is also something that's mature and subtle at the same time. I also love the life lessons on display here and they are something that should learned and people should be reminded of as they get older and forget what it was like growing up and instead close their minds off.
The interiors here are beautifully. From the creativity and imagination that is on display here which seeps into our own making what we see more plausible, and if I may it has more this feel as if Arthur shared his world with humans, see page seven for more details. There are other moments like that feeling of Tetra's home possessing Incan, Mayan and other cultures artefacts in her home and the detail in those is different from the main characters making the backgrounds at time more interesting visually. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off a really sharp eye for storytelling. Then there is the colour work which is also so well done. The colour blocking and utilisation of certain colours really makes a difference in how we see things.
Armano's journey that we are now along with on, is one where he has to let go of what he feels is control of what is going to happen. Instead his job is follow Gogor even when he doesn't want to or understand his choices of where they go. We see the beginnings of our own understanding of it but does Armano fully comprehend is the real question. I love this it's fun, interesting and the exploration is a lot better than trying to follow Dora around. I think this is universal in it's appeal and you should be reading this and find out why I say that.