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 first two issues of The Power of the Dark Crystal were fantastic comics that allowed its primary cast to shine alongside the world that it was elaborating upon. Knowing that the series had 12 issues to work with, it initially seemed like the conflict of Thurma needing to shatter the crystal and damn the world of Thra to save her own world would potentially lose the sense of wonder and grandiosity that made the Dark Crystal film so exceptional. As thematically rich as Thurma’s conflict is, the latest issue confirms that this story will be a character-filled epic. The Power of the Dark Crystal #3 rapidly expands the scope of the well-paced 12-issue series and further cements it as a comic you should be reading. 

The second issue ended on a game-changer of the Fireling Thurma taking a shard from the crystal for the purpose of saving her homeworld. The immediate consequence of this is the return of the Skeksis. The less thought about consequence is the release of the Mystics. The fallout of these two parties returning is interesting and very unfortunate for the Geflings. While Skeksis attempt to kill the Geflings, the Mystics simply sit and meditate. The Mystics in the original film are presented as an ideal of spirituality and morality. It’s interesting then to see that their principles, as noble as the may be, could arguably leave them as potentially responsible for what happens to the Gelfings, or to Thra in general. Writer Simon Spurrier is at his best when dealing with these moral dilemmas. 

Artistically, this series is the most visually engaging comic on the market. Kelly and Nichole Matthews have an engaging style that toes a line between the lush and cartoony with earthier textures. When they draw Thurma or the Pokemon-esque Tumbeloth’s, this really shines. The color work is equally phenomenal. It’s one of the few books that is enjoyable on a purely aesthetic level. The Power of the Dark Crystal isn’t just for fans of the Dark Crystal, but it does help to know about the source material. Ultimately, this is something that non-comic fans can really sink their teeth into.

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