Publisher: IDW Publishing
Writer: B. Dave Walters
Artist: Tess Fowler
Cover Price: $3.99
YES/NO/MAYBE? Give it a go! The story seems to be building to something interesting and it’s just five issues. Plus, there’s a Kenku.
STORY
The story begins in media res with most of the story’s protagonists surveying the field from a tower as an invading force prepares to attack. After brief deliberations under the leadership of Helene, a fiery-haired wizard, the group decides to attack.
A battle begins and we see two pages of montage panels. Finally, a ruckus appears on the other side of the battlefield approaching the heroes and dialogue suggests this is an expected and desperately needed reinforcement.
The tale then jumps back into an origin story of how all the party — including some who weren’t in attendance at the battle — met when setting out from their home island to find adventure. They fall prey to an incredibly obvious scam, underscoring how green they are in the ways of the world, only to realize that they can accomplish anything by working together.
WRITING
B. Dave Walters dialogue is sharp and blessedly spare. He doesn’t dive too deep into unnatural exposition and handles character introductions with a deftness beyond what I expected. Not that I didn’t think Walters could handle it, but introducing an entire cast of characters in a single issue is no small thing.
The story sandwiches an origin story flashback between present-day bookends. If I have to read an origin story, the origin sandwich is by far my preferred delivery method.
Overall, Walters gave me just enough to keep me interested while not spilling too much detail or over explaining.
ART
Tess Fowler’s art occupies a middle ground in terms of quality. That’s not to say it’s bad, though. Some comics, often those geared toward more juvenile audiences, lean too hard into cartoony character design along with minimal illustration detail. “A Darkened Wish” hits somewhere between that and a more artistic and detailed style. It’s not bad, but I always prefer more detail to less.
A decided win, however, is the change in character designs for the protagonists from their younger selves to their present-day appearances. While they’ve definitely aged, changed, and have more experience behind their eyes, you never have to think about who’s who.
The issue’s panel layouts come with few surprises, but none of the pages feel over- or under-packed with imagery and there are a couple of nice full-page panels that are great, but could have been made better with more detail.
Some of the scenes from the story-opening battle would have made excellent double-page spreads, but I can understand not doing that until, presumably, the end of the series when we circle back around to that present-day battle in the climax.
CONCLUSION
When it comes to new series, I always plan to buy the first two or three issues, regardless of how I feel about the first. While I wasn’t blown away by the story or art in this inaugural issue, I’m going to pick up the next one and, probably, the rest of its five-issue run. I have a feeling it’s the kind of story that needs to be complete to feel… complete.
P.S. There is a Kenku that appears to be a main character. I want a story about an adventuring party made up entirely of Kenku. They are the best.
P.P.S. Be sure to check out the character sheets of the main characters that come with the issues.
