Two-in-One Review: Growing Up Enchanted Randy and Don venture into a magical forest, and into the midst of a special family in which the children are Growing Up Enchanted. Don: Innocence and fantasy collide in this charming new title. The fantasy genre is enjoying a new level of popularity these days thanks to mainstream media successes like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, and this comic book will appeal to fans... as well as create new ones out of younger readers. Randy: Growing Up Enchanted is a new black and white book from the publisher of the late and lamented Wahoo Morris with art by Sleeping Dragons alumnus Alex Szewczuk. Which means that it had two good marks beside its name going in, as far as I was concerned. Growing Up Enchanted #1 published by Too Hip Gotta Go Graphics written by Jack Briglio illustrated by Alex Szewczuk Don: Olianna is a young girl with special magical powers, but her parents have decided it would be best if she kept them a secret. She's about to start school, but it coincides with her father's departure on a quest with a trio of bumbling knights. Randy: I found it a little odd that the book started out with the story of the three knights, because while it was funny, it didn't seem like it captured the heart of the book right away. As you hint at in your synopsis, Olianna is the protagonist, and we don't meet her until we're well into the book. However, I suspect that this slow opening won't be too much of a problem, because Szewczuk's artwork grabs the reader's attention from the very first page. Don: My favorite aspect of this book is the art, mainly because I was pleased to see Alex Szewczuk's work again. He's no stranger to the fantasy genre, having worked on Sleeping Dragons (from Slave Labor Graphics). Despite the consistency in genre, though, there's definitely something different and new to be found in his work here. There's a greater sense of focus for one thing, but there's also a stronger tone of innocence. Szewczuk captures the child characters quite well. His backgrounds are nicely detailed as well. His work here puts me in mind of J. (Alison Dare) Bone and Jay (Jetcat Clubhouse) Stephens. Randy: Szewczuk is a true talent, with the same sort of detail and charm that you find in successful fantasy comics like Bone or Thieves & Kings. And you're right, his art has a whimsical quality to it that really helps to bring across the innocent and often humorous tone of the work. There are story elements that aren't spelled out in the writing but which are made clear in the artwork, such as the generally friendly appearance of the dragons, that really show how much the artwork contributes to the book. It helps that he is given fun and funny scenes and fun characters to work with, though. Don: The strength that Briglio brings to the book is clear: his characters. Though he opens with some medieval Stooges, it's Olianna and her family who really steal the show. Oli and her brother ring true despite their fantastic circumstances and the setting in which we find them. Her brother's imagination and her father's strength really come through here, and it all makes me want to keep reading about them. Randy: Though it is Oli and her family that drew me in as well, I have to admit that I found the goofy knights to be quite a bit of fun. Also, though Oli is a likable character, her seemingly younger brother and their very smart dog won me over as well. This issue is all about introducing the character and grabbing the reader's interest, and on that score, Briglio and Szewczuk succeed. Don: Growing Up Enchanted is surprisingly down to earth, and if it weren't for the armor, dragons and spells, I'd be tempted to see it as more of a childhood slice-of-life book. For more information about Growing Up Enchanted, visit the website. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.