Writer: Derek Laufman
Artist: Derek Laufman
Lettering: Warren Montgomery
Cover: Derek Laufman
Publisher: BOOM! Studios/KaBOOM!
Spoilers
I knew from the very first page, if not from the cover, that I was going to like this book. A ragtag pair of reckless adventurers, magic books, skeleton keys, glowing relics, a tentacled monster, a buggy scavenger: what’s not to love? Throw in a healthy dose of humor and a pinch of sass and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a super fun dish. I didn’t even mention yet that the main characters are a pig and a fox (both of which happen to be my zodiac animals)!
This is a riot, folks. The plot is simple but works, the key players are stereotypes that work; the setting is a typical sunny wasteland that works. I zoomed through the issue and then went back for a re-read, enjoying the expressive art packed into each panel, the lines so curvy and just…plush. It’s like the stuffed animals of your youth (or now, I don’t judge, and still have plenty of stuffed animals) went on an adventure together and recorded it for your viewing pleasure. How sporting!
This is one of those books that will get your kids giggling as you read it out loud and put different voices to each of the characters. It’s one of those books that you can read with friends and pass it around to share. It’s one of those books that you can pick up on your own and chuckle over for a short break. It’s just a jolly good time any way you read it.
Writer/illustrator Derek Laufman is adept at showcasing comical hijinks and high-action scenes. I love the characters he’s created for us to populate RuinWorld. Besides Pogo and Rex (the aforementioned pig and fox) there is a whole host of anthropomorphic peeps wandering around the quaintly drawn Trader Town, including Barri and Fargus, a book and wolf, respectively, that have some beef. I know I will be tuning in to see if it gets resolved in future issues.
Overall: 9/10
Tee LaFrance Todd writes, edits, reads, explores, and creates whenever she can find the time. When she’s not engaged in some form of storytelling, you can find Tee traversing the world with her husband and her dog, making things, reading tarot cards, and generally striving to live a life beyond anything she can imagine.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeeLaFranceTodd
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