Image Comics 2017
By Matt Wagner
Coloured by Brennan Wagner
Lettered by Dave Lanphear
For years, Kevin Matchstick and his wife Magda have led a quiet life, raising their two children and hiding from the dark forces that he once combatted as the reborn Pendragon. An adept witch, Magda has spent the past seven years brewing a protection philter that will make their home immune to any magical attack. With only several weeks until the potion reaches fruition, they’re reluctant to once again uproot their family and flee a potential threat. But another attack from the fairy realms forces Kevin to once again call on the power of Excalibur, fully exposing the reality of magic to his son Hugo.
While it’s been way too many years since the second instalment of the series, about twenty years actually, and the second came ten years after the first so if there were ever to be a fourth we’d better hope Matt lives to ripe old age and keeps all his mental faculties. Even though it’s been stated this is the final chapter. If there’s one thing I can say is that this hasn’t lost any of its appeal, charm or charisma for me. Matt eases back into Kevin’s life like it’s a high school reunion remembered in exquisite detail.
Last issue Kevin and his son Hugo were set upon by more creatures out for the bounty on his head. This time Kevin is unable to shield Hugo from seeing the realm, the creatures of what his father can do. Of course Hugo’s characterisation here is phenomenal and it comes more so from being a parent and raising a kid as the perspective we get is one where the parent is afraid of what the son sees and the kids resiliency and fascination is so well done. The same can be said for how Magda reacts to all this and it shows the whole family angle that’s so smartly done.
Alright so the interior artwork isn’t quite the same but that’s to be expected still it has that feel to it and seeing Kevin’s balding head and his son’s horribly done home bowl cut is great. No it doesn’t have the mystery or majesty that the original did but it’s certainly holds its own. Matt’s eye for visual storytelling never ceases to amaze me with his use of page layouts through their angles and perspective. The creativity and imagination on display here is wonderful and though I'm sad that Kevin, with a nice hairy chest, sleeps in boxer briefs, yes pervy mind here.
I love Kevin’s idea to draw those chasing him to him by leaving town and inviting open season upon himself. It’s bloody brilliant is what it is, from the planning stage which wasn’t a stage at all to how readily Magda agreed to it, to the fact that it makes the most logical course of action. Plus the fact that Kevin is now ready to fight, he’s angry and that means all the action is about to take off in ways that mean we’re in for a good time people.
You never realise how much you’ve missed something until it comes back. The writing, the story and the characterisation here is superb and it just makes me genuinely happy. Matt’s taken too long a break from this and yet his story structure and development has matured and aged as well as a fine wine. Also there are a few things in this issue that stand out because of not only what is happening but the subtlety and the way it’s manipulated here is utterly fantastic. The Matchstick children will come into their own in iteration or I'll be terribly disappointed. While they may not be the next Pendragon their mother is a witch after all so there should be some power that trickles down the family tree and wouldn’t it be a hoot if they saved their father in the long run.