Travelling Man's Blog

Written by Corey Brotherson

Art by Sergio Calvet

Published by Doodle Doodle

£5 pre-order before the end of 18 April (launch day) with a free digital copy, £6 regular price

http://magicofmyths.com/

Robin has a problem; William Shakespeare. A Midsummer’s Night has just been published and is sweeping England. It’s a brilliant play, a bang on satire of Fae politics and one of Shakespeare’s all time greats.

But Robin is a girl.

And Puck, her character in the play…is…not.

As she sets off to make this right, Corey uses the young Fae to shine a light on the elements of his Magic of Myth universe. This is one of the most realistic and vibrant takes on the Fae you’ll read, and Corey walks us through their society with remarkable grace and a stunningly good eye for character. Oberon is a great example of this; a character who’s outlook and demeanour is established entirely through how he speaks. Oberon has, maybe, 15 words in the entire issue but he’s so grounded, so authoritative that you can’t help but remember them. Titania is just as memorable, far more articulate and far crueller. There are no wasted words with her and no words without a sharp edge to them. Likewise, Robin’s friends, especially the Green Man, feel like people we’ve known for years. Part of the reason for that is the archetypes Corey’s drawing from, the rest is that he’s a remarkably good writer.

But it’s Robin who you remember. Brilliant, brave, crushed and determined she’s caught between two warring parties who don’t want her and makes an impossible choice as a result. She carries the emotional weight of the story and never once buckles beneath it.

The second story here is a total gear shift and is actually the opening chapter of the series Fae ties into. Magic of Myth is excellent and focuses on Eve, an English teacher as well as a warrior. On the bad days, she’s honestly not sure which is scarier. Eve is the polar opposite of Robin; older, wiser, fewer damns to give and seeing her snark her way through the first in a series of tests is huge fun. It’s also where Calvet’s art really comes into its own. His style is rounded and expressive and fun everywhere but this story is where he really gets to show off. Corey’s script is light on its feet but has real weight to it and that’s cleverly communicated through Calvet’s deceptively light artwork. The end result is a beautiful book, one that honours its subject matter and provides a perfect on ramp to the larger story being told. Corey and Sergio are two of the best creators in the industry and this is some of their best work. Pick it up, and the rest of Magic of Myth, and find out just how good they are.