There’s a new sovereign in Thra and a new creative team at the helm of BOOM! Studio’s latest arc of

For as much as I bemoan Big Two comics for their wiki-over-purpose storytelling, it would be perhaps too generous to say that the Dark Crystal as a franchise is the most welcoming to new readers. Sure, you might remember broad strokes from the source material, but how much of that sweet, sweet lore do you have at the front of your mind? Henson’s worlds are so enormously inventive and lived-in that this lore is a bit of an albatross around the neck of comic continuations like this or the Labyrinth comics. There are exceptions: the Smith / Huntington run on Beneath the Dark Crystal laid out everything you needed to follow along early and was propelled with such an emotional depth to the character work that I’d recommend that book to any fantasy fans. But more often than not, they end up like the enjoyable but sometimes difficult to immediately pick-up prior two Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance arcs, even though the teams of Andelfinger / Balsa and Cesare / Carlomagno made very enjoyable books in the process. 

It’s refreshing, then, that Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #9 feels more first-time-reader friendly, and more akin to the Smith / Huntington book than either of the latter. There’s certainly a substantial bit of lore at play, but this feels less like an anchor and more like traditional fantasy story worldbuilding. The book focuses on Mayrin, the recently ascended All-Maudra (think Queen / Empress). The prior sovereign, her mother, seems to have been respected even if we are given hints that she may not have been the kindest ruler. Mayrin finds herself overwhelmed by both the expectations she still feels beating down on her from her late mother and by the competing interests she must now juggle as a Muppet-adjacent head of state. One of the more pressing issues is that a seafaring gefling Sifan clan has been openly antagonistic to the new leadership. To win favor with this clan, Mayrin embarks on a voyage with Sifan Captain Kam’Lu. The leader of the Sifan’s, Fenth, in the meantime is making a potentially nefarious deal with the Skeksis. A large ocean monster attacks the ship and Mayrin saves Kam’Lu as the latter’s ship sinks below the depths. 

What’s particularly unique is that all of that plot summary really obfuscates just how whimsical the book feels at times. A lot of that is due to Erman’s grasp on character-centric writing, a consistent strength in his work. It’s tough to write characters so clearly earmarked to arc in terms of maturity and not make them insufferable. Mayrin’s character is a make-it-or-break-it element of Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #9. In a lot of ways, she is bratty at the comic’s onset, but the book makes it clear that while her outbursts might be self-centered, she isn’t selfish. While this story doesn’t at this point seem too concerned with interrogating the monarchy of Thra on a conceptual level in any noticeable extent, the amount of sympathy it generates for its protagonist, and interest it builds in learning more about what will likely be its secondary protagonist, is impressive. It will be interesting after the remaining three issues of this arc come out just how much of a connection you can draw between Erman and Migyeong’s creative input on a long running much-beloved franchise and Mayrin’s own feelings towards her inherited throne.

On the subject of Jo Migyeong, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how good this comic looks. While Migyeong’s scenes of crowds often feel spacious to a fault, the facial work on the closeups and the action shots give this comic a sense of emotion and urgency. A large amount of the sense of wonder in this book comes with Fabiana Mascolo’s work. There’s a use of blues and purples that, while aiding in the mysterious quality of the night time scenes, makes the daylight scenes seem alien, which is fitting given just how weird the Dark Crystal world really is. Readers are only offered a brief glimpse of a skeksis, but it’s enough to be excited to see them interact with this story.

It’s hard to recommend this to someone with zero familiarity with the source material, but if you enjoyed the movie, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance #9 is worth your time. Without relying too heavily on prior arcs or even the Netflix series, the issue is way more new-reader friendly than it has any right to be. It’s a visual treat with a non-stop focus on characterization in its storytelling.

Where Archaia’s wonderful Power of the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth: Coronation comics tend to skew older in demographic, being best for teenagers and above, Fraggle Rock: Journey to the Everspring shows the publisher putting their best foot forward a more kid-friendly product in terms of storytelling, and a lighter comic tonally than the other Henson properties.

Kate Leth’s ability in giving the surprisingly robust cast of fraggles each a moment in the sun and a chance to display unique personality traits is the best part of the comic, and watching them interact is charming in a way that appeals to all age demographics. Leth turns the comic in surprising ways that range from heartwarming to adorable, with the final moment reveal of the doozers managing both at once.

Jake Myler’s art, while good in isolation, is less effective overall. Though the bright color choices and vibrant illustrations are no doubt the perfect choice for this comic, his use of color in backgrounds in particular often feels random. This, combined with the often claustrophobic panel composition makes some of the action hard to follow.

It’s the kind of comic kids are sure to love, and can still appeal to adults for whom Fraggle Rock undoubtedly holds a special place in their hearts, but it won’t win anybody over to the concept.

3 / 5

Power Rangers #28

If you had told me five years ago that one of the most interesting and bombastic comics of the year would wind up being Power Rangers, I would have assumed you had been huffing paint for a few weeks. But here we are. BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers #28 continues what is proving to be the most explosive and epic comic since 2015’s Secret Wars. Seeing all of the different rangers from different continuities — and ultimately, different childhoods for readers — makes this feel like the comic equivalent of playing with action figures.

So what makes this crisis of infinite rangers so exciting?

In short, it’s that the entire creative team behind this comic is doing some of their best work. Writer Kyle Higgins is able to balance the scope of the fight scenes with the character moments with skill. With two rangers paired up, he’s able to show the essential traits that made these characters archetypes that were basically reincarnated every time a network from the 90’s or 00’s wanted to get some sweet Power Rangers money. Despite the obvious overlap, though, no two rangers feel like the same character. They all feel unique in terms of personality and history. The older Pink Ranger specifically has some heartbreaking dialogue about the subtle changes that result from time travel.

In short, it’s a Power Rangers adults can unironically enjoy.

Artist Daniele Di Nicuolo and colorist Walter Baiamonti create what is probably the most visually exciting comic of the month. Panels never seem to ignore any aspect of their composition, as Di Nicuolo handles backgrounds and subjects with equal detail. Baiamont is able to make this a notably vibrant comic with an exceptionally diverse palette of colors. Despite this, the comic never seems visually assaulting or disjointed.

4.5 / 5

It’s another solid showing for Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation, as the nearly flawless second issue of the series from BOOM! Studios’ Archaia imprint places comic in contention as the best of the Henson spinoffs. Simon Spurrier’s skill in crafting deeply compelling characters that never feel out of place in Henson’s universe gives this comic a beating heart that could pull even the most cynical of readers. Combining this with artist Daniel Bayliss’ skill for crafting the fantastical elements of the titular Labyrinth and colorist Dan Jackson’s visually striking choices gives readers a comic that seeks to be memorable, and largely achieves that goal.

The second issue continues the frame narrative of the first with Jareth narrating the comic as a tale he is telling the baby he kidnapped. This frame allows Spurrier to parallel the journeys between the original film’s Sarah and his own original character of Countess Maria. While we see a lot of the same passion at the heart of both characters, Spurrier takes care in ensuring that Maria is not simply a Victorian-era Jennifer Connelly, with Bayliss giving her enough visual distinction that she already feels at home in Henson’s universe. The medium allows for Spurrier and the art team to play with a lot of ideas and turns in storytelling that the special effects of the time of the film wouldn’t allow for, such as a mechanical puppet mermaid the lures Maria into a false sense of security before the kappa-esque monster controlling it seizes her and drags her to his lair.




Time for a brief tangent about why mediums work the way that they do and how that benefits Labyrinth: Coronation. Despite all the time and money that goes into them, a lot of film fans groan at CGI-fests in movies and tend to speak fondly of films laden with practical effects, such as The Thing or every 80’s Henson production. This is because even though it might not look 100% real, it still exists in the same space as everything else. It might not look real in isolation, but in context, it still looks like it belongs. Comics are an excellent medium for exploring elaborate, difficult-to-recreate sequences because it all happens within the same medium. Everything else exists in the comic, so whatever outlandish thing you see never takes you out of the fiction itself.

Rant over.

Readers will no doubt find themselves fawning over just how visually enjoyable this comic is courtesy of Bayliss and Jackson. Bayliss’ strength comes in two forms. His character design work is exemplary and gives the already charming comic one more layer of likability. The second is the way in which he is able to balance the more straightforward panels with the spectacle-filled set piece panels that will likely be some of the best comic art you’ve seen all month. There is no better example of this than the splash of Jareth looking into his crystal ball into the Owl King looking into his crystal ball to Maria navigating the labyrinth.

This layering of panels and frames gives an extra bit of gravitas to Jareth’s overall narration of the story and also makes everything seem like a rabbit hole. The Labyrinth is surreal and often has one foot placed squarely in the absurd, and Spurrier, Bayliss, and Jackson ensure that this already foreign world seems that much more unfamiliar. You could have watched the original film a thousand times and still have no idea what is in store for Maria, and for any comic that is a good sign. For a comic based on an existing story, that’s above and beyond.

Our Rating: 5/5

Things go so wrong so fast as The Power of the Dark Crystal finale, and yet it manages to pull of a bombastic finish to its equally tender and epic tale without drowning most of the comic in action sequences. Simon Spurrier and Phillip Kennedy Johnson have consistently delivered since the first issue, and though the comic has had some flaws in terms of keeping track of the story it wants to tell, the two have really made Thurma and Kensho into believable and well-rounded protagonists that often surpass the somewhat blank main characters from the Jim Henson classic. A world is shattered and a world is reborn, and The Power of the Dark Crystal #12 excels in its tender portrayal of cataclysm and hope.

Within the first six pages of the issue, the shard that has been the crux of the entire plot is lost to the abyss beneath the crystal and a vile skeksis murders the gelfling Kensho in a scene that is genuinely shocking as a juxtaposition of awful violence with the somewhat cartoonish style of illustrators Kelly and Nichole Matthews. That said, the Matthews sisters are a major part of why this scene and this opening is as effective as it is. Throughout the series, they have never failed to play up the innocence of Kensho and his fireling comrade Thurma, but they also have never failed at delivering emotional beats through their drawings of the odd faces that Henson established. When Kensho dies, the reactions of both him and Thurma are heartbreaking. Kensho was with us a full year ago for The Power of the Dark Crystal #1 and was introduced through unfortunate circumstances. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end for him. He was supposed to escape the turmoil he had been living in.

Thankfully, he does. As Thurma dives for the shard and into what is presumably certain doom, she lands softly as readers are reminded of the various offerings that have been made to the Crystal presumably since the end of the film and depicted in the opening scenes of the first issue. Spurrier and Johnson’s consistency here is a real treat, as the finale issue feels like a complete unit with the opening issue and it is clear that the ending was concocted alongside the introduction to the story, so most of the events have been building toward this.

The problem, it seems, is that the offerings made to the crystal have sealed the world of the firelings away from the world of the gelflings, and by extension away from the Crystals’ life-nourishing light. When that block is destroyed, the crystal shatters and reforms, once again eliminating the power-hungry Skeksis and unifying the world of Thra. If The Dark Crystal was a film about two people with seemingly no social power restoring balance in an unfair and unjust world, then The Power of the Dark Crystal is about two people with vastly different backgrounds reconciling those differences for a greater good and learning to not be afraid of something that might be different from what they are familiar with.

The main flaw in this comic has been the flaw that has dogged the series from the get-go. While the visuals and dialogue / narration reach incredible heights when they work in tandem, there are a few moments where everything becomes a little hard to follow and readers may find themselves glazing over a few pages. Thankfully, this issue suffers from that far less than some of the middle issues of the series, and the final dozen pages or so are some of the best that the comic has produced in its run. The art team is at their most dizzyingly glorious and the narration carries the gravitas that helped establish the series as such a strong comic book presence in 2017, and it provides a strong sense of closure as it culminates in 2018.

NewRetroWave Rating: A-

The Jim Henson-verse of comics published by BOOM! Studios’ Archaia imprint have quietly become one of the most consistent string of series to follow after the remarkable showing that The Power of the Dark Crystal had in 2017 and that Labyrinth: Coronation #1 aims to continue. Si Spurrier, the writer of both series, is proving his position as one of the most reliable voices in comics for transporting readers to far off worlds to an extent that it’s hard to imagine these extensions of Jim Henson’s original groundbreaking work being written any other way. With art from the always great Daniel Bayliss, it’s hard to not to feel overly excited for this peek into the history of the Goblin King. Fortunately, this comic lives up to the hype that die-hard fans of the cult classic will undoubtedly bring.

Rather than beginning in Jareth’s past, Spurrier opts to begin midway through the plot of the film, which acts as a frame for him to recount his story to the infant Toby. This works for a few reasons. For one, it gives a readers something familiar to latch onto before diving into the brand new material, while also paying narrative homage to the story that made everything possible. It also gives Bayliss an opportunity to illustrate some of the incredible scenes that Henson so brilliantly envisioned, with the opening panel of the Oubliette being a prime example.

When Spurrier takes us back to Victorian Europe, it’s astonishing just how quickly he makes the Goblin King relatable and tragic. Jareth wasn’t born the Goblin King, and just like the original film used the iconic and fourth wall leaning audience of Goblins to relate to the audience that Sarah needs to wish Toby away, the goblins huddling around the panels of the comic and crouched in the page margins inform readers that Jareth, who is actually Albert, needs to wish to be the Goblin King for it to be so, and has been plagued by visions of the goblins and their world. It’s fascinating given the lines are drawn between Jareth and Sarah in the film, but also because it furthers the thematic idea that escapism and wish fulfillment have their limits. We know that this wish is bad for Jareth, but we also know it is inevitable. Of note, the scene also gives us some early interactions between Albert/Jareth and his love, the lower class Maria. These interactions so Albert being challenged by a strong-willed woman and the extent of his power over her being tested, as the movie takes to a greater length between Jareth and Sarah. It also immediately addresses the idea of rank and class. Jareth is of a higher social class of humans, and before long will be at the top of the caste of goblins.

Bayliss illustrates this all wonderfully, and his marriage of the elaborate world of the goblins with that of Victorian Venice is truly impressive. Also worth mentioning is Dan Jackson’s colors, which are strong in both their vibrancy and in the way he plays with lighting sources in a few scenes throughout. Overall, this is a comic that is an easy recommendation for fans of the movie, regardless of if they are typical comic readers. Its well-written and well-drawn, but best of all it is interesting. It takes full advantage of the medium in a way that many superhero comics often fail, and it is definitely a comic to have your eye on in the coming months.

4.5/5

Before I get into this comic’s writing and whether or not the comic does a service to Jim Henson’s legacy, I should get something out of the way:

This comic has one of the five best splash pages I have ever seen in my entire life. It actually gave me chills — like, real chills!

But first, some meta-backstory. After The Dark Crystal was released in 1982, the film’s director and creator, Jim Henson, discussed with David Odell, the screenwriter, about the potential for a sequel. Watching it in 2017 inspires a sense of awe, so the film must have been a spectacle to early 80’s audiences. The film is filled with a sense of Henson and company showing off, whether it’s with incredible cinematography, sophisticated puppetry, advanced filmography, or world building. It’s fleshed out and realized in ways that Labyrinth, it’s closest Henson relative, simply isn’t. This combined with the original film’s $25 million profit makes the lack of a proper sequel a bit conspicuous. While one floundered and ultimately died in developmental hell, Odell’s original work on the sequel, combined with screenplays by Craig Pearce and Annette Duffy have become the basis for Achaia’s Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal 12-issue comic series. The first issue not only serves as a worthy continuation of Henson’s original work, but does so with that same effortless showing off quality that the original had.

Simon Spurrier taps into the strangeness of Thra not just with lore-heavy narration, but with some really interesting narrative choices. The story begins a century after the conclusion of the film, with all of the major players of the film still alive. That detail alone reinforces just how foreign this land is. The original was filled with characters who were intensely old, but treated that age as though a thousand years were a few decades. The Castle of the Crystal is now surrounded by beauty, lushness, and life, in contrast to the surreal deserts that litter much of Henson’s fantasy realms. The Fireling is introduced shortly after the comic opens and serves as potentially the best possible choice for a protagonist. The Fireling is an outsider to Thra society, presumably hailing from deep within the planet. The things about Thra culture that seem strange to the Fireling also feel intrinsically strange to readers. The original film’s theatrical cut was a little heavy on the exposition, so the comic’s trust of its audience is an improvement.  Readers are left in the dark about why offerings are made to the crystal, what the deal is with the authoritarian Geflings, or why some appear to be afflicted by a disease. The Fireling doesn’t know, so why should we. We are strangers in a strange land, paired with something even stranger.

The Fireling learns of the events a hundred years prior through an inventive form of candlemancy, for lack of a better word. When looking through the things that the candle has seen, readers are treated to the aforementioned splash page. It manages to push the surrealism of the whole aesthetic into a realm that practical effects-laden filmmaking simply wouldn’t be able to, and while maintaining a slight spiral / geometrical visual motif that is hinted throughout the first half of the book, and also while being the first sight of the Skeksies. It is unexpected in terms of art and story, and really captures a lot of the magic that comic books can do in a way that other mediums simply cannot. Kelly and Nichole Matthews artwork makes the whole affair incredible, and while it is too early to tell, it could potentially push it to classic territory.

You don’t need to be an expert on the original film, let alone the previous supplemental readings for it. In all honesty, this comic would easily impress somebody never seen who has The Dark Crystal. The Power of the Dark Crystal is truly comics as comics should be – utterly riveting, captivating, and capable of bringing life to a world both fantastic and unique. It’s one of the best #1’s I’ve ever read, and for anybody who enjoys great art, the original movie, and strong storytelling, it’s essential reading.

The Power of the Dark Crystal #1
5/5

Feast your eyes on some wonderful news. There will be brand new tales from “The Dark Crystal” universe.

A prequel or series of prequels will be coming around the corner very soon and I’m sure that many of you either can’t wait or your heads are exploding right now.

The Dark Crystal a classic film from Jim Henson was a perfect marriage of fantasy and darkness. Perhaps a smidge more adult the Disney but, tamer than a Ralph Bakshi feature. The cast were all puppets and the visuals were amazing on top of a timeless tale of Good vs Evil.

” Shadows of the Dark Crystal is the first book in the series, and it’s written by author J.M. Lee, who won 2013’s The Dark Crystal Author Quest — a competition put on by Grosset & Dunlap and The Jim Henson Company. Lee’s story beat out 500 other submissions.

The story is set in the world of the Skeksis and Mystics, and takes places years before The Dark Crystal. According to Nerdist, “The prequel takes place years before the events of The Dark Crystal and follows the journey of a young Gelfling woman who leaves her secluded home to uncover the truth surrounding the disappearance of her brother, who has been accused of treason by the sinister Skeksis Lords.” The powers of good vs. evil live on.

To make things especially nostalgic, the book’s cover art was created by the film’s original creature designer Brian Froud.” – Hellogiggles.com

Available for purchase on June 28. 

Source: http://hellogiggles.com/prequel-series-dark-crystal

Written by Sam HaiNe