(I Box Publishing)
Writer/Artist: Mark Oakley (moak@interlog.com)
WHAT GOES ON: In true thief fashion, Rubel manages to escape pursuing soldiers, as Heath and her new friend Jennifer return to Jenny's home.
Here's what I thought...
A nice mix this time of a few hefty text-plus-illo pages and graphic storytelling using dialogue and sequential panels, of action and reflective scenes, and of familiar, new, and returning characters-- one of whom, the wizard Quinton, doesn't even appear but leaves an indelible imprint as his words guide Rubel through a secret passageway leading towards his old living quarters.
It might take a bit for new readers to get used to Mark's visual style, especially to the way he uses panel shapes to help convey certain emotional states in addition to telling the story and chooses to make few of his borders straight, but I'm finding the narrative clearer and easier to follow with each issue. It's a bit hard to shift the paradigm back to remembering that Soracia, the Shadow Lady, is quite evil in her waking state, since we've seen a different side of her for so long in the dragon's dream sequences that have come before.
Still, I found it encouraging that Rubel, whom she has repeatedly wronged, believes there's a way to reform her. His enthusiasm and belief match Heath's outlook so exactly I can't help but root for them to meet up again, which I'm sure they will once Rubel recovers with the help of Quinton's potions. Meanwhile, it's fascinating to see how quickly Heath settles in to her new surroundings, and it makes a lot of sense that she'd be comfortable with the reincarnation of her foster mother-- she's always seemed a bit unstuck from time in the first place. Somehow I get the feeling she's in Rubel's world to stay. Recommended.
So, what did y'all think?
- Elayne
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This review is copyright 1998 by Elayne Wechsler-Chaput, reprinted here by
permission