Preview This – Review That!!! PART TWO: BRADY COMICS

Flying the Standard:

WHAT IS RIGHT WITH COMICS

Approved By DAMM

The Comics and Companies missed and/or the Ones coming up

Going WOMBATTY!!!

Wombat Rue sets a new standard in family comics

By DAMM

*spoiler alert on a mass scale!!!!

Based on a True Fantasy

What do you get when you cross an Olympic athlete, a pencil and a dream? You get Wombat Rue, a wonderfully adventurous voyage into an action fantasy comic, full of heart and maybe one of the best villain build ups I have seen in a couple years. The creation of Olympic medalist in the Skeleton, Brady Canfield, Wombat Rue seems to have what few other comics have going, a real reason to be telling stories. What I mean is that while other family fantasy books are just flat recreations of TV shows (not counting Young Justice) or retreaded concepts like fairies, Harry Potter rip-offs and dumbed down drivel even kids hate; Wombat Rue burns bright and clean in that bland and muddled genre.

But do not be confused, I as a grown man (as grown as I get) enjoyed the heck out of the first three issues. I laughed out loud when in the first issue Rue (umm he’s the Wombat, duh) starts the campfire with a flame thrower type weapon.  I was immediately taken with the backstory, the way Rue’s nightmares plagued him and his companion’s relationship. The two are weapon makers. I was thrilled with the wolves of Quinn and the post war affiliations of the kingdoms seemed strangely inviting because the characterizations in appropriate animals made me care to be there. The world took a couple issues to flesh out, but the characters and dialogue had me burn-turning pages both for the banter and the danger. I was not expecting so much heart!

Wombat Rue follows the story of a planet ravaged by a war of 15 years where at the edge of victory the villain of the tale suddenly disappears leaving more questions than answers and our heroes, Copper Jack the Jackalope and Rue to travel the world.  In the first issue the team loses their vehicle, banter about the Wombat’s strange nightmares and review the history of the war.

It is in a campfire telling (isn’t that the way of things) that Rue remembers how it went down. The army of wolves set on the planet by the steel masked villain Quinn was swift and brutal forcing war with the rest of the world. The End of the world…didn’t happen. This archfiend the elusive and deadly Quinn had started his rise by seeking out magical items from a long forgotten civilization to build his empire but then all was abandoned when he disappeared. These circuits of cities all over the planet were barely tapped. Jack and Rue have a map to these sites given to them by a one eyed stranger, but neither are very good at directions or navigation. So they head North. One of the best gags that show the smarts of this mostly serious story is in the choosing of what town to go to before the infamous vehicle loss. Presented with the choices of Wicked or Reasonable as town names the duo chooses the obvious Reasonable – which is not. It is run by jackasses both figuratively and literally – in one of the funniest belly laughs I have had since Skull Kickers #2.  The dialogue is so natural and engaging I was sucked in. In fact the events there lead to making waterfall bait of Jack and Rue vehicle and all. They find out later the directional sign was broken and the other town was called Candlewicked. Broke and desperate, robbed and wet,  Rue and Jack hatch a plan to get a tracker. That tracker a cat named Jade, a tough bar fighting troublemaker who is instantly likeable. Together they are going to find the rest of Quinn’s magical cities. That is if they do not kill each other first.

Wombat Rue is set to be fantasy of the highest order and is positioned to have one of the best adventure stories in a long time. All new characters in an all new world is usually enough at first but this has something you will notice right away. Each issue doubles in quality in story and art showing how committed Canfield is to his craft. He is a one man army writing and drawing this book alone. By issue three it is as professional and perfect as any published book from any major publisher. The upside potential of this title is immeasurable with child friendly images and adult ready stories as well it could be a surprise juggernaut. It has characters you have seen before in some way out of a long forgotten era that you can’t put your finger on. An impression of classic Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone remains in lingering limbo like a fingerprint on a Colorform toy but it resonates fresh takes on them in singular engulfing interest in what happens to them. I have read the next two issues and refuse to spoil them for you. Get this book. Faster than Lightning.

http://www.wombat-rue.com/

Till next Flight

I remain

DAMM