Storm King comics has a little bit of everything for horror lovers of every age. That couldn’t be more on display than in the Storm Kids line created by John Carpenter and Sandy King. If you’re a horror fan, like me, that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s they have an entire line of comics just for you, and if you’re of the younger generation who is just finding your footing in the genre, they have you covered.
Danni is a twelve year old girl who feels that she is no longer a child because she is mourning the loss of her beloved dog Pirate. She’s handling it almost well but it is clearly effecting her every day life. The other kids at school try their hardest to comfort Danni and she’s almost accepting of the love. She feels like her day takes a turn for the worst when her favorite teacher is out and the class has a substitute.
Miss Phallas is definitely more than she seems and knows just what to do to help Danni in her journey back to happiness. She begins to teach the class about Greek mythology and even gives Danni (quite on purpose) her old and used copy of the text book. Soon, reading the notes in the margins, and putting clues together, Danni discovers that the entrance to Hades is in her town and she knows exactly where it is. Like any twelve year old that has begun learning about such things she decides to go on her very own quest to get her little dog Pirate back.
Out of the Frying Pan
Fetch Book 1: The Journey, was written by Mike Sizemore clearly with kids in mind but that doesn’t change the fact that it is great writing. I found myself just as interested in this story and wanting to find out what happens next, as I would if I were reading a new novel set for my age group. The art was handled by Dave Kennedy with the style being a little cartoony (this isn’t a knock) and it is absolutely beautiful to look at. It fits the story like a perfectly tailored pair of pants. Pete Kennedy was in charge of the colors and he chose a palette that complimented the art and the tone of the story, elevating every part of the tale. Lettering was done by Janice Chiang and just like the rest of the creative team it feels right at home. Nothing was hard to read and each character had their own personality.
The book is a fantastic representation of how a young person would deal with grief, not really yet knowing how to process such a thing, they would create a fantasy to cope, or in this case, a fantasy would present itself and take you on an adventure. Of course nothing ever goes according to plan and when she arrives at the entrance to Hades she finds her brother Sammy in tow.
And Into the Fire
Without giving away completely everything I will say that after she passes the test passed on to her by Cerberus (who turns out to be an adorable three-headed corgi) she has to choose a champion to lead her to and through the land of the dead to accomplish her goal. She chooses Odysseus because she is smart and knows he is the only one to go in and make it back out of Hades in one piece.
We get to meet the Ferryman (who has updated himself to the 20th century and now drives a tiny car on a bridge across the river Styx) as well as many other characters who will 100% be familiar to readers. Perhaps my favorite part was Danni’s first challenge, having to get past Medusa, who she defeats simply by being curious. She asks her for the names of her snakes as well as complimenting her hair. It was cute but not cringe, I was all in on this story.
Final Thoughts
I think if you have kids or even if you just love fun stories that are brilliant to look at, you need to check out this book. It’s only book one, I understand that any story has the possibility to go south even if the first act is amazing, but I don’t think that’s going to happen here. It’s too clear to me that the creative team have poured their hearts and souls into this tale of loss and adventure. I mean, I don’t care if it’s written for an eight year old or an eighty year old, good writing is good writing and great storytelling transcends all ages. This is definitely great storytelling.
Fetch Book 1: The Journey was a quick but pleasant read. There wasn’t a dull moment, it kept me pushing forward like any good story will do, and honestly now that I’ve finished this one I need to hop online and make sure I order Book 2. If you give this a chance you’ll end up in the same boat as me, or car… they drive cars across the river Styx now. What a fantastic ride.
Wonderfully Weird & Horrifying 