Rats, dragons, werewolves

[furtech]

They've collected the first series of a comic called, "Darkham Vale." The story's the old, "kid moves to mysterious (dead) uncle's house, discovers he's the prophesized savior of a magical realm," but the characters are engaging and the art is eye-candy (IMO). Two volumes, published by APComics (www.apcomics.com). The only complaint I have is that some of the really neat secondary creatures appear only briefly (sometimes only a panel or two, in the care of the wolverine).

But you rat-fans should be happy: there are a couple of characters that would make neat costumes. And though the style of werewolf and dragon aren't my preferred style, I like the series enough to let that pass. This artist/writer very effectively portrays a deadly, desperate battle. Here are a few more samples from the book (mostly volume 2):

http://www.akela.com/IMAGES2004/darkhamvale/darkhamvale04.jpg
http://www.akela.com/IMAGES2004/darkhamvale/darkhamvale05.jpg
http://www.akela.com/IMAGES2004/darkhamvale/darkhamvale06.jpg

(each is about 200K)

Comments

[skorzy.livejournal.com]

Oooh! Nifty!

Interesting how the white rat's whiskers give him a "halo" effect. Then, clearly the artist has OBSERVED rats before and have noticed their whiskers do halo their entire heads. Nice and welcomed attention to detail.

I think I will have to pick this one up..and maybe, someday, the English version of Blacksad, though I find them pricey.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

What caught my eye the first time were his creatures and how well they were drawn. His attention to detail in all areas was refreshing. The halo-effect was a cute touch.

The collections aren't cheap either, I'm afraid. Twenty dollars each (which I guess is normal these days).

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

Wow! That artwork is gorgeous..
I bet I could dress Riptooth up as one of those rat characters.. just need a ripped up vest and cloak!!

-J

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Always fun to find new ways to use a costume! A forester's cloak and staff or bow would create an entirely different character for Riptooth.

[farallon.livejournal.com]

The artwork is nice, even the humans are almost interesting :)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Yeah-- without the creatures this book would have just been another Image-styled comic and a tired plot. Fortunately, the characters are nicely developed and the creatures are cool! I'm trying to find out what else this guy has done...