Fabled Four issue 1.
Created by Luke Summerscales, Jamie Me and Jonathan Carter.
Editing by Archie Dalit.
24 pages - Full Colour.
‘A twenty page original comic using 100 percent pixel art.’
The Story - The story starts off by identifying the four warriors involved in this series. The Warrior, The Mage, The Healer and The Rogue. This introduction showing their powers then skips forwards ten years to them all in a tavern and wishing they were back adventuring during their glory days. They discuss their own perceived middle-aged crisis and their sense of ennui. You soon understand that the glories they expected I their later lives have not been realised.
To change this dissatisfaction with their lives they debate climbing ‘The Great Tower’. After some discussion they head off to start this quest and the issue ends on a cliff-hanger that I won’t spoil for those wishing to pick this book up.
The Review - I will be honest and say from the outset that I found this a difficult read. I tried three times to read through and forced myself to keep going on the final try. I also showed this to another comics reader and after about four pages they said ‘Nah, I’m out’.
It would be wrong of me to leave that hanging so here are my reasons.
The use of pixel art has a certain nostalgic appeal. It has a kitschy and tongue in cheek feel to it when you see a single image or even a short strip. But for me it’s prolonged use here made it a dull reading experience. The lack of detail, especially in the faces of the protagonists, lead me to become quite bored. My mind wandered off to other things.
‘I wonder if I should get a shed for the garden.’
This pixel style may well appeal to others and I have always made it clear that I’m not a computer game guy. But the lack of detail would still be there causing a block to showing any personality, facial acting or on occasion sub-text.
But to say that this comic is just a pixel art inspired story would give it a huge disservice. There is more to the story than just the sentimentality of the stylised visuals. The writer (I’m guessing it is Jamie Me as I’ve reviewed his books previously - the credits don’t differentiate between creators) adds some modern language to the mix. The characters talk flippantly about ‘brown trousers’ or wind each other up about there being no ‘cuddle time’. It has that dialogue approach of modern sensibilities mixed in with the Dungeon and Dragons vibe.
The use of swearing and laddish humour saved the book a little bit for me as I find that sort of joking appealing. But it didn’t save it enough I’m afraid. I found this to be a book that took so long to say something and get anywhere with uninteresting visuals that I wouldn’t be onboard for issue two. It left the reader at exactly the spot I expected it to after reading the premise in the first half of the book. Personally I want something with more depth.
Some people who have an affection for this type of art may get a kick out of what the creators are doing here and all power to them. I do have an underlying worry that this is a comic that may be another cash-in on nostalgia sales. But if this review encourages you to pick the book up and you enjoy it I am pleased. It simply wasn’t for me.
Not everything can be.
You can find Jamie Me on Twitter @jamiewrites and search for him on Kickstarter for upcoming projects.
Find Luke Summerscales on Twitter @ sadface_rl
Find Jonathan Carter @W4RCRY777
Find Archie Dait @archiedait
Many thanks for reading.
Here is a picture of the shed I’m going for. Something for the summer where I can sit and read.
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