True confession time: I always skipped Prince Valiant on the color comics page when I was a kid. I wanted the funnies to be funny, and the medieval adventures of the strip's title character didn't fit the bill. But as an adult, I'm well aware of Hal Foster's style and just how far the property reached thanks to international syndication. In their last issue on Scion, Ron marz and Jim Chenug pay tribute to Foster's lasting mark on sequential storytelling, and it makes for one of the most memorable issues of the series... and a thoroughly accessible one.
On the island sanctuary that the lesser races call home, a group of settlers who left to establish a new community on the far side of the island has gone missing, and Ethan -- accompanied by Ashleigh, Exeter and Skink -- sets out to find them. They soon discover that the island is frought with dangerous, and the life of one of their number is threatened as a result. Ethan also discover that the island is home to secrets... secrets that shed some light on a hidden side of the war between the Heron and Raven dynasties.
With some stunning double-page spreads, Cheung captures Foster's layout approach and minimalist style wonderfully. overall, there's a sense of serenity that envelops the story, but it allows for darkness and tension to creep in when it's called for. Cheung doesn't sacrifice his own unique style in order to pay tribute to Foster, but at the same time, he's definitely adapted it and reigned in his flashier, more dramatic panel layout leanings. Cheung does an incredible jobh when it comes to conveying the strong and gentle bond that exists between Ethan and Ashleigh.
I'm impressed with how well Marz adapts the conventional comic-book storytelling style to the choppier, even greater episodic format of the comic strip here. Each little hook at the end of each two-page sequence draws one further and further into Ethan's world. Furthermore, the shift from a dialogue- and caption-driven style to prose works quite well too. There's an epic feel at play in the script.
I'm also pleased to discover that this special issue serves as an excellent jumping-on point for new readers. One mightn't expect something like that from the main creators' final issue, but anyone can pick up this issue and understand the current state of affairs and the main playes easily.
