Image Comics 2018
Written by Skottie Young
Illustrated by Jorge Corona
Coloured by Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Abel and Fox learn that there may be someone who can help the boy's worsening condition. But the road to reach her is long and unpredictable--and not everyone they run into along the way is anxious to let them pass.
I have some serious thoughts about Fox, who he is and who he represents, that I am not going to go into here because we’d be here all night. However Abel needs a guide, a friend and someone to remind him of his purpose on this epic quest. So there is also an aspect that Fox needs Abel in the same ways and the cycle of the two of them is quite fascinating to ponder. So as the story unfolds here there is a very interesting dynamic playing out and what it all does is engage the readers mind in ways that not only help make them a part of the story but to use their knowledge and imagination, not to mention personal experiences to be enveloped in this wondrous world.
Skottie just keeps impressing me more and more with his writing chops, see skill and talent, with each new issue. The structure of this has and is exceptionally well done and the way that the book flows through it’s pages is like that babbling brook which they travel by. Smooth at times and fast and dangerous at others and the overall effect upon myself as a reader is such that we are almost lulled into this false sense of something, not security as this is far from secure for the pair, that is almost unexplainable. Also the transitions that we see from one segment to another is well done too and constantly seems to add new aspects that we never expect to see coming.
The characterisation here is bloody marvellous! There are times that I feel that Abel takes on more and more of Fox’s characteristics, ears and such really. The way they interact with one another, the dialogue, is the true source of the characterisation and while actions speak volumes here the way the two speak to each other is much more bluntly honest in pointing out each others characteristics. Also the introduction or re-introduction of characters come in such a way that is pleasantly surprising. I do wish we’d seen the dangling bits on page 8 but that’s neither here nor there really. Seeing that on in particular is going to make things complicated and interesting as we move forward.
So speaking of dangling bits, at least you showed a square hairless tushy lol. I like the artwork here and how all this is brought to life in this all-ages style that has a lot more attention to detail. The creativity and imagination here is superb and getting to see this Troll is beyond wonderful. I mean I wouldn’t have known if it were male or female based on it’s design and that kind of ambiguity is fantastic to me. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a nice solid eye for storytelling. I adore the fact that backgrounds are utilised as they are, the detail in the trees or the housing or what have you they work to really bring these moments to life perfectly.
There are so many great things happening here. Aside from this journey of self-discovery that he wasn’t expecting to take, Abel has to cope with what his father became and wonder why, why he feels that his father’s anger is towards him. There are so many personal struggles here and it is all wrapped up so that it comes in this bright package that totally hides the seriousness. This is fun, exciting and just a sensational look at what Abel and Fox find themselves capable of.