Helen of Wyndhorn reunites the amazing Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Matheus Lopes, and Clayton Cowles, the team behind arguably one of the best Supergirl comics from DC in recent years, Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow. The story introduces us to Helen Cole, an orphan to the late C.K. Cole, a pulp writer and creator of the popular character ‘Othan’. Recalled to his large estate she comes to discover more to the sprawling mansion and its environment than meets the eye, as she finds a myriad of wonders that she had once thought to only exist in her father’s stories to exist within its grounds.
Tom King’s narrative pushes on some really innovative storytelling techniques with characters recounting events, giving us two narratives in one. And the dramatic tension and build-up to events later in the story make every panel a compelling read bringing the story forward, aided equally by the rich artwork that lacks nothing in its compositions and array of colours to draw the reader into the fantastical worlds of Helen Coles’ exploits.
Bilquis Evely has done a brilliant job of composing dynamic interesting pages that push the story forward in the subtle ways demanding of the narrative. The line art especially has is presented with high expertise with an expert level of collaboration with the colourist; the colours and mark-making really making Evely’s art pop out of the pages with all manner of fantastic locations and characters.
Matheus Lopes as colourist seems to continuously outdo himself with every page; the colours being incorporated not just into filling space but colouring into the inkwork itself, in such a way that seems synonymous with Bilquis’s work. The colours chosen enhance the story, and the shift between the mundane and the fantastical propels the reader further into the wonder of the story, with its use of pastels and vibrant greens.
Clayton Cowles is the letterer behind the series and the text is wonderfully integrated into the narrative, speech bubbles are often drawn to appear like torn shreds of paper which establish that they are reminiscent dialogue from the external narrator. The type used fits into this perfectly; all too often type can break a comic or blend so seamlessly that it gets lost within the image. The pacing and choice of design really sets this text up to work so well with Evely’s artwork and Tom King’s writing.
The team behind this story genuinely are a powerhouse in the comics industry right now, with the successful Supergirl comic becoming the source material for an upcoming DC film production. The direction Helen of Wyndhorn goes into as an original narrative with fantastic artwork sets this story up as something of equal merit and potential. These creators are certainly always worth looking out for.
Tom King (W), Bilquis Evely (A), Matheus Lopes (C), Clayton Cowles (L) • Dark Horse Comics, $29.99
Review by James Calderbank
