Bill Willingham has garnered plenty of attention over the past year or so with his work on Fables, but those of us who were fortunate enough to sample his various limited series from Vertigo already knew what to expect from this writer on the comeback trail. One of those limited series was The Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad, and he offers up a sequel here. The good news is that this title is just as entertaining and humorous as its predecessor, but the better news is that those who missed out on that prior book won't be left out of the loop.
Since her last major adventure, the immortal witch named Thessaly has been globe-trotting, trying to find a quiet little corner of the world that she could call her own. All she realy wants to do is to fit in, but supernatural trouble -- in the form of monsters -- always seems to find her. Case in point: her life in a small Italian town is disrupted by the appearance of yet another mystical beast in her home. But this day is unlike the others that came before, as answers about these dangerous disruptions are about to be forthcoming, and they're connected to a certain suitor from her past.
One of my favorite things about this book is that it's illustrated by Shawn McManus. Not only does his style boast an appropriate balance of lighter tones and darker leanings, but McManus is listed as the title character's co-creator. As the first artist to depict Thessaly in a comic book (Sandman: A Game of You), it's fitting that he's still associated with her today. The artist shows us Thessaly's friendlier side and her angry one as well, and her "love interest" exudes charm, just as he should, even though he's placed the object of his affection in potentially fatal circumstances.
Willingham and Napolitano offer up an interesting new approach to lettering foreign languages that captures the color and culture of the other language while maintaining clarity in the script. It's actually a fun little storytelling technique.
(Addendum: Bill Willingham wrote to clarify that the foreign-language lettering motif isn't a new one, nor did this creative team originate it. "As far as I know, John Byrne pioneered this clever practice in his Next Man [sic] series. At least that is where I stole the idea from." Thanks for the heads-up, Bill.)
The writer delivers not only a fun action sequence in this issue, but an accessible script that tells the reader everything s/he needs to know about the title character and her unusual paramour. Willingham also gets to the heart of the tragedy of Thessaly's life. She seeks isolation, yes, but she wants to be alone because she lacks purpose. Her new partner proposes one, and I'll be interested to see if she agrees or if she finds a different direction in the process.
