Broken Frontier

Fleeing his home, Drizzt ventures where no dark elf has before—into a world of sunlight.

Having faced the machinations and murderous intent of House Do’Urden, the misfit drow, Drizzt, eludes them at last by going to live in the surface world above. Slowly adjusting to this environment of light and open space, Drizzt is intrigued by a nearby human village. He longs to befriend its inhabitants and relieve his loneliness but fears their reaction and potential prejudice against his kind. However, other creatures begin to show interest in the village as well and see in the dark elf the perfect scapegoat for their deadly games.

Beginning the next chapter of the Dark Elf Trilogy, Sojourn (hmm, I seem to remember another fantasy comic by that name…) brings with it a dramatic shift for the series. Gone are the shadowed and terrifying world of the Underdark and the endless manipulations of Drizzt’s bloodthirsty family. In their place, we have a much more traditional fish-out-of-water tale, though one that remains compelling nonetheless.

Like any great misfit hero, Drizzt’s continuing search for belonging and acceptance stirs the reader’s sympathy. In the interaction between Drizzt and the humans, Salvatore’s story (and Dabb’s adaptation) wears its lonely outcast/misunderstood minority analogy more prominently on its sleeve, drawing on themes sure to appeal to many readers. The issue also serves to expand the world of the series, introducing many new characters and creatures and placing Drizzt, as always, at the center of conspiracy and violence. With a lot of story to cover, the comic occasionally falters in the smaller details (the presence of a strange flying pixie-like being is never fully explained) and a few of the new characters drift blatantly close to Lord of the Rings territory. Despite a few flaws though, Drizzt remains an extremely well-produced and entertaining comic.

That appeal owes as much to the artwork of Tim Seeley as to the excellent storytelling. Seeley’s line work is assured and stunning, its realism lending credibility to the fantasy. Clean, elegant, and dramatic, the art immerses us in the beautiful and terrible aspects of the setting. The world of the surface offers new challenges for Seeley and for colorist, Blond, who is able to now cut loose with a much brighter palette than in previous installments. The issue balances the light and darkness admirably, much like its conflicted protagonist.

With adventure, intrigue, monsters, and a reflective hero, Drizzt is of the strongest comics of the recent fantasy renaissance.