Mythics #1
- Created & Written by Matt Trinh
- Illustrated & lettered by Beth Varni
The year is 2007
Elthia Fletcher is a newly instated member of The Mythic Order, an ancient order based in the spirit realm. They have been protecting humanity from the shadows, carefully avoiding The Order of The Carolingian Cross while doing so, for magic is under their strict regulatory control, with the penalties for its unauthorized use being severely dire. Nonetheless, the Mythics work tirelessly to maintain the fragile balance between our world and the realm of the spirits.
On Elthia’s first mission, she is ordered to rescue a kidnapped baby changeling, and to capture a coven of witches.
If the witches succeed, they’ll summon a demon lord…
Anything but a walk in the park, Elthia & her familiar Galatyn run across a coven of witches in the middle of a sacrifice. On the literal chopping block is a baby of obviously fae origins (the ears gave her away). What follows is a story that works to find a balance between action, character development, & plot turns.
In the end, this is an interesting story, kicking off an interesting comic book setting- The Mythoverse. Some of the action was tough to make out, with clashing color palettes & heavy use of effects, but where I’d really like to see some attention given is in the placement of the dialogue. Word balloons were occasionally tough to follow, not sticking to the traditional “left to right, top to bottom”… for that matter, the placement wasn’t consistent, following one pattern on a page & another on the next. It wasn’t a deal killer, but it did make the dialogue harder to follow than it needs to be.
With a little bit of polish, Mythics could be a great small press indie title adding to a blooming new universe.
Final Score: 7
- Created & Written by Dan Sacharow
- Illustrated by Leandro Panganiban
- Letters by Eric Weathers
The years is 2012
An ancient order of Holy Knights, known to those within as The Order of The Carolingian Cross, has ruled the human world from the shadows for 1200 years.
And now, a group of innocent girls have been kidnapped by a vile, hedonistic cult, whose members revel in the use of forbidden and foul magics to fuel their depraved orgies. As the threat is beyond the ken of the mundane authorities, The Order of The Carolingian Cross has sent in one of their own to free the captive girls before it is too late…
Easily my favorite of these three new titles introducing the Mythic Trio, Adobe Kroger presents its characters & setting through action. The rescue team consists of fledgling Knight Adobe, wizard of the Order Casey Crumb, & highly trained combat specialist Reese Connelly. Together, they’re ready to lay the smack down on evil wherever they can, & protect the innocent at all costs.
This is a great example of how interesting & layered characters can be presented through their actions, rather than dedicating a page of dialogue to introductions. Throughout the issue Adobe, Casey, & Reese are effectively revealed by what they do & how they respond to the threats around them. The action is fast-paced & laid out with a great eye to the choreography of scripted combat.
Final Score: 9
- Created & Written by Brett McGowan
- Illustrated by Victor Campan
- Colors & Letters by GingerFoxy
- Logo Design by Zero Fawkes
Summer, 2019
Maeve MacKenzie isn’t an ordinary girl from Aberdeen, WA.
Living with social anxiety for most of her childhood, Maeve has struggled to find her place among her peers while her parents struggle to raise a child they at times don’t understand.
Even with years of therapy and a lifetime growing up in a Christian household, Maeve is still trying to find answers, and she hasn’t been able to find them in either God or her therapist.
Growing up isn’t easy for anyone, especially Maeve, but what if there’s a reason she doesn’t fit in? What makes her different from other kids?
This one reads as the fulcrum on which the Mythoverse is balanced. Looking at the timeline for these three titles, it isn’t really a big stretch to make a guess on Maeve’s origin. Still, Changeling sets itself apart from the other two in both its tone & artistic style as a manga with more of a young adult attitude. That makes sense as Maeve is herself a young adult, with all of the confidence & doubts that go with it.
Final Score: 8
Wikid Publishing looks like it’s determined to grow, & doesn’t seem interested in wasting time to get there. They’ve made pretty solid connections in the indie publishing world, some “fanart” hinting at possible crossovers with a couple of my favorite small press titles: Rags & Punchline.
At a buck a piece for these digital releases, there’s no reason not to at least give them a shot, & you might be getting in on the ground floor of something with the potential to be very cool.
