Long Ago And Far Away #1 – Starburns Industries Press
Written by Chris Mancini
Art & Colors by Fernando Pinto
Letters by Troy Peteri
Did you have any major accomplishments when you were younger? Maybe you scored the game winning basket for your team or won an essay contest. Now imagine saving an entire world, but nobody believes you. It’s time to go Long Ago And Far Away this week for our first review of a Starburn Industries Press title.
The story follows Jason, once The Child Knight and hero of Elvenwood, but now the manager of a comic book store. Think of all of the stereotypes that you can, they almost all apply to Jason. He loves to tell the story of his time as The Child Knight, but that’s a tough sell in the real world. It doesn’t help that Jason is a next level jerk. His own mother doesn’t even believe him. He even has some proof, but still nothing. Just when it looks like he is going to let the story go, it finds him once again. Elvenwood has come calling again, but The Child Knight is not what they find. Jason may have been right, but he doesn’t exactly give off hero vibes right now. We are left with the representatives from Elvenwood trying to figure out what to do about that.
I’m always looking for more fantasy comics to read. I know this “person from the real world was a hero in the fantasy world” angle has been played many times, but this felt a bit different. Jason is consciously aware of who he was all along, it’s just that no one believed him. That was interesting to me, because what would it then take for him to prove it? The thing that held me back was how much of a prick Jason really was. You’ll read this and immediately identify someone in your circle of friends, because everybody has a Jason. So to me the intrigue here is, even when they learn the truth, will they actually care? There is a bit of a Clerks meets fantasy vibe here, but I find myself more interested in the supporting characters than the main character. There are plenty of comic book references, given that they work in a comic book store, but the majority a subtle jabs here and there. The art is pretty good, but there is some inconsistency in how the eyes are drawn that drives me a little nuts. It’s a little thing, but it was noticeable. There are times where the art shines, especially early on, but doesn’t give me that consistency. I think this book has a chance to be good, so I’ll hang around for another issue or two. If we get a bit more humor, and less douchbaggery, then this could really work.
RATING: PICK UP