Broken Frontier

The kid-friendly fantasy series from the creators of Abadazad moves from Image to its new home at BOOM! Studios.

Cody and Alana brave the living Woods in order to find the Lady of the Corn, where they will find the help they need to escape the distorted and dreary "Nameless Age" created by an evil called "The Woman." Meanwhile, K.M. and Nathaniel face a different danger as they journey through the River, though they have the guidance of Ruchh, The River Giant. Just as it appears the dangers have caught up with them all, the mythical Stardust Kid finally emerges and grants them the hope they have been seeking.

When it comes to comics, I have to admit that I’m not really a fantasy fan. Magic, mystical creatures and all that seem far more appealing to children than adults. But occasionally, like once in a blue moon, a story comes along that speaks to the kid in me and demands my attention. Truly, The Stardust Kid isn’t quite there for me, but it has at least tickled that part of my imagination that I’d long thought was gone.

This was the first issue of the series that I’ve read, and it has all the allure of The Wizard of Oz or The Lord of the Rings (probably a mixture of these would fairly describe the story), both of which I would consider the aforementioned rarity of appealing fantasy. DeMatteis does a very nice job of introducing the characters and their respective plights so that new readers won’t feel completely lost. The story is thick with laid back narration that gives readers ample insight to where the story has been, is, and is going to go.

Mike Ploog is absolutely perfect for this type of story. The wide-eyed expressions of his characters show their innocence, and his wildly imaginative creatures fit this strange world like a glove. Whenever the "bad guys" do show up, he is also able to twist his delivery into something Disney-like. In fact, The Woman reminds me very much of the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The Stardust Kid is likely to find a small audience of readers with kids, fans of either the writer or the artist or those that love old-school fantasy. However, this issue showed me that the series has more to offer to the masses than just a charming tale for the kiddies.