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Wayne Markley
by Wayne Markley
As a general rule, I am not a huge fan of fantasy material. I do not shun it totally as I like game of Thrones (the TV version) as well as let’s be honest, all superhero comics are fantasy in one type or another. however in terms of prose or even comics, standard fantasy; elves, magic, etc.; I do not get into except for these graphic novels that when once again verify exactly how foolish I am when I reject a genre out of hand. These are a handful of, no doubt, lots of fantastic standard fantasy graphic novels. These three have been suggested to me as well as I took the time to checked out them as well as found I was being a snob. So, armed with my new knowledge, I am going to share my thoughts on these books. plus there is a quick nod to the newest book by my preferred comic book author.
The Quest of Ewilan
Quest of Ewilan Vol.1: From One world to one more is based on the novels by Pierre Bottero as well as is written by written by Lylian with art by Baldetti. This is the very first of a series of French graphic novels that have been equated into English as well as published by IDW under their EuroComics label. It is a full color, hardcover book as well as it features a few of the most gorgeous colors I have ever seen. The colors add so much as well as are so much of the story I cannot even put it into words. The story is about a 13 year old woman who travels to a parallel dimension where she is an imaginate (a extremely powerful as well as special person with capabilities including magic as well as visions). Her name is Camille on earth however in this alternate world, her name is Ewilan. This new world is called Gwendalavir as well as it is full of magic. Her parents were from Gwendalavir as well as were likewise magicians. She is joined on this experience by her institution buddy Salim, a kid who likes to pretend he is much tougher than he is, a pair of young as well as strapping knights, as well as an old guy on a quest to discover as well as save Ewilan’s parents. This very first volume starts as a relatively regular tale set in a normal institution however quickly shifts gears into a rip roaring adventure. It describes sufficient to keep you interested however it leaves a great deal of concern as to why as well as exactly how she arrived on earth in the very first location as well as exactly how she goes from one world to another. While a great deal of the concepts right here are typical to fantasy stories, the art (and coloring) raise this book far above the typical story of this type. I was mesmerized as I turned from page to page just waiting to see what was going to occur next. This book is a overall bundle as well as I cannot not wait on the next volume.
Amulet Vol. 8: Supernova
Amulet Vol. 8: Supernova is the newest chapter in this terrific legendary by Kazu Kibuishi. While it has been three years considering that volume seven came out, he does not miss a beat as the story opens with a kick-ass begin as well as does not stop till the last page. This volume focuses on Emily’s bit sibling as he takes center stage as both a soldier as well as a leader. just like his sister, he is hell bent on saving his family, despite his mother’s concern. There is a great, as well as long, chase scene on bicycles, which I need to admit I have never seen in a comic book before. Not to be left out, Emily has even higher power now as she has ended up being the Phoenix as well as this plays a crucial part of the story as it is racing to its conclusion. The end is coming as this volume sets up volume nine which will be the end of this series. I will admit I will be unfortunate to see this series end as it always supplies a fun trip with gorgeous art as well as a complex story. While this book is likewise full of dragons, magic, princes, as well as other stuff of standard fantasy, it is nearly a total opposite of Quest of the Ewilan. The set ups are similar however the execution is worlds apart, even though both are extremely well performed in different ways. part of the differences lie in that Kazu Kibuishi utilizes a ton of computer produced impacts as well as techniques with his book which, while beautiful, look extremely different than the pencil as well as ink work you will discover in Quest of Ewilan. I would note that Amulet, together with Bone, are the two bestselling books to young teen visitors at the Westfield retail store I work at. I regularly suggest Amulet to parents for their younger visitor (10 as well as up) as well as especially for girls, as well as everybody has liked it as well as come back for the rest of the series. however to be honest, it is a fantastic checked out for any type of age, as well as even for non-fantasy fans like me. inspect it out. It is full color as well as published by Scholastic.
Wayward Vol. 1
Wayward is an continuous title by picture Comics as well as is written by Jim Zub (Zubkavich) as well as drawn by Steven Cummings. It has been running for three years now as well as it is a interesting tale of a teen woman named Rori Lane who moves to Japan only to discover she comes from a long line of “special” people who are in an ancient battle with demons as well as Leprechauns. The story goes around the location from Japan to Ireland as well as all locations in between. There are lots of twists as well as turns that keep the story interesting, if not confusing at times, however the art keeps me coming back. It is a gorgeous book filed with quick paced action. My one suggestion would be to checked out the collections (there are five trades so far with a sixth one coming this Christmas, in addition to two large hardcover books) as the story is so complex at times, reading the single comics, with the breaks they take, can make it difficult to follow. general though this is one more fantasy book that drew me in since of the art however the story was so great I kept coming back. This one, unlike the very first two, is for mature visitors because of graphic violence at time.
My Heroes have always Been Junkies
A short diversion from my discussions on fantasy comics to make a quick mention of a new graphic book that just came out by perhaps, my preferred writer currently doing comics, Ed Brubaker. His newest book is with his long time collaborator Sean Phillips as well as it is a criminal offense story wrapped in a like story with the cloud of drugs. It is called My Heroes have always Been Junkies. It is about two young people who satisfy in a rehab facility for medication utilize as well as find that they have a great deal in typical aside from the medication use. It is a dazzling story that is extremely well told utilizing the very best of Brubaker’s storytelling tricks. I am not going to sophisticated as well as provide anything away as it would be as well simple to do by stating a lot more than that. I believed the ending was a bit clichéd, however it was truly the only method for the story to wrap up. I would extremely suggested this standalone graphic novel. It is a full color hardcover from picture Comics.
This wraps up my toe tipping into the worlds of fantasy in graphic format. I undoubtedly liked these books however I am sure there are tons of books available that I have overlooked throughout the years that are just as good. I would like you to tell me what they are! I can be reached at MFBWAY@AOL.COM or on Facebook at Wayne Markley. all of the thoughts expressed right here are strictly mine as well as do not show the thoughts or opinions of Westfield Comics or their employees. now please begin sending me recommendations. as well as as always…
Thank you.