'Best-selling writer Kurtis Wiebe (Rat Queens) and newcomer artist Justin Osterling launch a new fantasy saga!
'The Glass family has spent thirteen years hiding peacefully in the sleepy forest settlement of Frostbrook where Morgan and Yale planted roots and raised their twins, Griffon and Rana. But secrets never stay hidden, and the entire Glass family find themselves the target of an unearthly attack on Frostbrook.
'Now on the run from Muse Corp., they must flee to the massive city of Silver’s Bay to hide in plain sight. Rana and Griffon find themselves uprooted and answering for their parents' mistakes. But, they’ll soon find that the past has a way of finding you, no matter where you run. '
I'd had some experience with Kurtis Weibe's work before, having read the comic series Rat Queens, so was looking forward to another fantasy series helmed by him, but got so much more than what I was expecting in this first volume of what I hope goes on to be a long running series.
The story follows Morgan and Yale Glass, a young couple who begin the book travelling through a forrested wilderness with their twin infant children. We don't get a huge amount of information here, other than they're trying to get away from 'the city', and that they've been through fights to protect their children, with Morgan having lost part of an ear in the process. Eventually, after discovering some ancient ruins, the two of them find the small village of Frostbrook, and believe that this could be the safe haven they've been looking for.
Jumping forward fifteen years and we find that the Glass family have become well respected members of this small society, with Yale taking on the position of a teacher for the children of the village, whilst his wife Morgan acts as something of a protector, fighting of monsters that cause the inhabitants harm. Despite having a good home Morgan seems somewhat restless, and this seems to be echoed a little in their children, who have now grown into teens.
Griffon and Rana are now much older, and don't always enjoy the confines of the village, so when their friends decide to sneak away one night to explore the ruins on the outskirts of the town they jump at the chance, wanting to do something exciting for once. However, when a mysterious door is opened inside these ruins a group a hostiles are able to enter Frostbrook, and it changes the lives of the Glass family forever.
I have to admit, I loved the first issue, and thought that it was a great, entertaining fantasy setting with some interesting mythology and characters that immediately grabbed my attention. In some ways the fist few pages, with the clearly battle hardened parents trying to find a new home for their young children reminded me of Saga, and this got me excited for the series. Whilst this search for a home didn't really last, the jump forwards in time wasn't disappointing, and I enjoyed seeing how the family fitted into this village.
Despite enjoying this fantasy setting, I was given something of a surprising change when the book suddenly started introducing sci-fi elements to the story. Yep, it turns out that whilst there elves, orcs, magic, and monsters, this isn't your typical fantasy setting, and that Frostbrook is nothing more than an isolationist village that shuns the technology of the outside world. Yep, the book pulled out the twist from M. Night Shyamalan's The Village, but did it so much better.
After a couple of issues the book takes a sharp turn and starts introducing science fiction elements, essentially making a surprise chance to the books genre as the Glass family are plucked from their quiet life and thrown into a huge city filled with flying vehicles, holograms, and augmented people. Turns out fantasy and cyberpunk mix really well together.
Not only does the reader learn that the world the twins grew up in was a lie (and that through only being shown certain things the audience has been lied too as well), but that there are much deeper conspiracies at work too. This volume doesn't answer every question, but it does reveal to the readers that Morgan and Yale were involved with some dangerous people, and that escaping with the twins made them some dangerous enemies.
The book is a great introduction to this new world, and the sudden shift in expectations was both unexpected and brilliantly done. Whilst I'm a little sad that this isn't a more conventional fantasy world I'm extremely interested in the one that Wiebe has created, and can't wait to find out more in the next volume. I was also hugely impressed by the artwork by Justin Osterling, who's a new, uo-and-coming artist. Not only was every panel just superbly drawn, but the designs for the characters and environments were unique and interesting. This is definitely an artist worth watching.
Dryad is one of the more impressive first volumes in a graphic novel series that I've read in a while, and I think its one that deserves both attention and note as an exciting series that's doing some great new things.
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