by M'Oak
The skinny: Nine-year-old time traveling apprentice sorceress Heath
Wingwhit settles into her new life while Rubel violently searches for the
Wishing Key.
The writing: I'm not entirely sure why Rubel is searching for the
Wishing Key. In fact, I'm not sure what it is, at first, until I read
back through my whole back issue collection to find out that the Key had
indeed been mentioned some time ago.
It's this sort of attention to detail that makes this book an absolute joy
to read. I can safely check my continuity cop attitude at the door and
simply go along for the grand ride M'Oak offers every two months. Things
which seem like potential plot holes come up later. Seemingly incidental
and indulgent tangents covered in the text pieces are referred to in the
"live" portions with a definite impact on the events or the
history behind them.
This series has a deep sense of mystery. It's definitely not the sort of
book one can simply leap into, as M'Oak doesn't believe in providing
"Previously" boxes, and comprehend it all. However, a large
part of the book's charm is the sense of discovery and wonder at various
events. Its treatment of magic is particularly nice. Whereas many comics
depict magic either as simply a really versatile super power or as some
mystical deus ex machina, T&K treats magic as something mysterious and
subtle to the point of invisibility--which makes every appearance of the
larger-than-life Shadow Lady such a spectacle.
The art: M'Oak's art style is simple to the point of amateurism until one
looks beyond the iconic, slightly manga-influenced figurework to the
backgrounds. M'Oak's attention to setting is incredible. And with the
singular exception of Masamune Shirow (of Appleseed and Ghost In The Shell
fame), I've seen no one better at using screen tones.
M'Oak also does a great job of using art to tell story, esp. on the text
pages. Sometimes he uses the margins to simply embellish a scene told in
the text, as he does this issue. Other times he has buried actual clues
within the art. Once, he told an almost entirely separate narrative. In
any case, M'Oak is using the comic format to a rather high degree. I.E.,
this stuff couldn't be done right as a film or even as a novel.
ETC:
--Rubel has become a significantly darker character since we met him, it
seems. It's funny to see him putting the fear of God to the same
guardsmen who hounded him mercilessly mere days before.
--Speaking of days, upon re-reading the series, I was rather stunned to
see that the 1st 20 issues only covered about a day and a half's events.
Whew!
--My only complaint is that we still haven't seen much of Rubel's
princess, Katara. Is she really going mad out in the woods? Why'd she go
out there in the 1st place? Was she sane before but possibly driven mad
by Heath's presence in the present? And what about her troll companion?
So many questions. This is comics I like!
BONUS! M'Oak hosted a "3-page comic" contest in his pages, so
I'll briefly comment and score the winners...
1st place: "The Letter Home"-- it's about a young demon who
writes home to his mom. I don't care for tales that cast hellspawn in a
positive light, but it is whimsical and well-drawn. Grade: Good [3.0]
2nd place: " " About a mad female scientist and her reluctant
clone trying to take over the world. It's not very well illustrated, but
the script is pretty funny. Grade: Pretty good [2.7]
3rd place: "Memoir" The story is kinda incomprehensible--like
there's a wealth of necessary info that had to be left out to fit this in
3 pages. But the artwork is great. Grade: Good [3.0]
Overall:
Of all the comics out there, T&K is my absolute favorite. It's a little
difficult for me to judge it fairly because each issue is very much
only a small part of a whole. Therefore, I must refrain from giving it my
highest rating, no matter how much I like it. Grade: Near-classic
[3.75]
From: KJ Sampson <c721329@showme.missouri.edu>
This review is copyright 1998 by KJ Sampson, reprinted here by permission