I've sampled Tellos before and found it to be not my kind of thing, but then I'm picky about my fantasy and not much for anthropomorphic animals in general. However, if Sons & Moons is anything to judge by, DeZago seems to have found a format for Tellos that I like more than the ongoing series, a prestige format special with various artists and short stories that gives a larger overview of the world he's built and tackles done-in-one stories as well as hinting toward the future. My favorite story in the issue is the one that is more or less a parable about jealousy and overprotectiveness, but each of the stories that feed into an overall continuity have something to recommend as well. I'm still not a Tellos convert; the genre it tackles and the approach taken just doesn't resonate with me, but I can see why folks enjoy it.
My favorite story in this book was the second one, "Jealous Skies," with art by Eric Wolfe-Hanson and inks by Howard Shum. The style maintains the cartoony look that defined Tellos from the start, but it has a lighter touch, reminding me of nothing more than a Disney movie. DeZago's story is no Disney tale, however, it's considerably darker than that, more like a classic fairy tale. The book speaks to the joy of invention, the love of fathers and sons and the violent effects that jealousy and stubbornness can have. It's a tragedy, and it's well-realized, a story that gets in your head and stays there for a little while.
The other two stories in the book are more reminiscent of what I got the last time I sampled Tellos, featuring characters I don't really know and who aren't necessarily introduced for the new reader all that well. However, while I might not have really known the lead characters in the story all that well, or gotten their place in the overall mythology, the plots are strong and clever, and provide for a humorous romp in the first story and a foreboding and ominous warning in the second. I must admit that these two stories, more than anything else, piqued my curiosity about the story arc of Tellos, leading me to wonder if I'm missing another Bone here.
What really got my attention was the artwork, though. Carlos Barberi's work on Superman didn't really connect with me, but I found his work on the lead story to be very beautiful and great at conveying the humorous tone of the piece. In particular, his work on the pre-transformed Duck was delightfully cute, and his use of silhouettes and long shots really gave a sense of the altitude at which the characters were fighting. Then there's "Rites of Shadow," the third story, which features phenomenal artwork. It's not just that the artwork, a sort of painted style that reminds me of a combination of Sam Kieth and Bill Sienkiewicz, it's that the artist, Thor Badendyck, suffered a spinal cord injury and draws the entire thing using a brush in his mouth! This is impressive work from an artist working with conventional means, but when you consider that Badendyck doesn't have the ease of movement that most artists have and he still managed to create a unique and beautiful story, it's not just impressive, it's inspiring. And it all has beautiful color by Paul Mounts.
The book is rounded out by some nice if unspectacular pin-ups and a cute and goofy two-pager with writing and art by Eric Wolfe-Hanson, and topped off with a gorgeous Nick Cardy cover. I must confess that I found it visually stunning and a sometimes not all that gripping in story, particularly where the "Rites of Shadow" is concerned, telling the story of a villain I have no connection to at all, but I was impressed by the entire package, and recommend it to those who aren't as spectacularly picky about their fantasy as I am.
