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HUNTER: THE AGE OF MAGIC #2
"The Lake of Fire Part Two: The House of Leaves"
Recommended (7/10)
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DC Comics/Vertigo imprint
Writer: Dylan Horrocks
Artist: Richard Case
Colors: Sherilyn van Valkenburgh & Jamison
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Heidi MacDonald
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
Like so many of the recent Vertigo releases, Hunter seems to be moving forward
at a bit of a slow pace, although to be fair, Horrocks is at least introducing a
lot of concepts and story as he goes. I'm intrigued by this series so far, but
after a 5-issue mini-series and two issues of the ongoing, the basic setting
still hasn't really been established beyond being purposefully mysterious. On
the other hand, the character of Tim in the hands of Horrocks and Case is
someone who is likable, intelligent and strong-willed, a better protagonist than
the character who went where the winds of magic blew him in his prior
incarnation. This has the makings of a great fantasy comic, if only the creators
can finish laying down their foundation and get on with it.
What has been established about the White
School, I like very much. It's not a kind place, it's pretty much like any
boarding school, as demonstrated through the difficulty Kalesh is having
adjusting to the surroundings and the way people treat her, or through Tim's own
rebellious attitude toward the place. Using their mutual problems with the
school to further strengthen the bond between Tim and Kalesh is a good one, and
I'm impressed that Horrocks has given us a possible love interest to compete
with the well-liked Molly without overshadowing the character of Tim in the
process. There's a nice mixture between standard teen flirtation and arrogance
and the more unusual role of being a possible savior or warrior in the future
that is fascinating to read.
There are a lot of interesting plot threads
developing, albeit slowly. The warriors on the move, the skin eaters and the
hints that someone at the White School may be involved somehow, are being woven
in such a way that they may be independent stories or they may all come
together, and I'm interested in all three plots. It's nice to see Tim as a more
active personality, seeking out information about what's going on rather than
just wishing desperately that the magic would go away, and it gives a wider
variety of stories that he can reasonably be involved in as well.
On the artwork front, this is also different, both from previous Books of Magic
incarnations and Vertigo books in general. Case's work is not as intricate as
Gross's work on the title, but he does have fine lines and beautiful character
and background designs. There's a simplicity to the work, both in the clothing
the characters wear and the faces and bodies, made up of fewer lines but still
having a vast amount of expressiveness, that makes the book a very easy read.
Also, Van Valkenburgh's colors seem brighter and more varied than I'm used to
seeing in the generally dark Vertigo books, emphasizing the wonder and potential
of the world that Tim and his friends now move in.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
