The Truth of A Mission in Folklords #5
The truth is sometimes not what we expected. That is a lesson that Folklords #5 is about to teach Ansel. His quest has gone deeper than he could ever have expected, yet it is far from over.
Ansel grew up in a world where magic is the norm, yet he dreams of a different world. One full of cars, suits, and technology. It’s a complete flip on all the tropes we’re used to seeing and having left the door open to fracture many a fairy tale along the way.
Now Ansel’s quest is about to hit a new height as he learns the truth of why Folklords’ quests were banned. Yet there are still so many questions left to be answered. And apparently, even larger tasks that he must complete.
Writing
Folklords #5 was an intense and fascinating read. Where the rest of the series has had fun playing on classic tropes, this issue threw the plot forward by leaps and bounds. Matt Kindt did not hold back when planning the events that unfolded here.
On the one hand, that made for a tense read. We may have only had five issues to read thus far, but we’ve had plenty of time to become attached to Ansel and his story in that time. Not to mention all of the secondary characters involved (well…most of them we care about, at least).
Naturally, that makes any dramatic scene where everything is at risk all the more alarming. It’s something that Kindt took advantage of here and to significant effect. Everything that happened had so much more impact because of our emotional investment.
That said, there is a lot to make you think about this issue. Surprise twists and revelations, as well as several implications. It’s fascinating, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how Ansel’s quest continues from here.
Art
Folklords #5 carries the same bold artwork found in the rest of the series. It’s the perfect fit for the tale at hand, being able to be both expressive and speculative at times. There are a lot of memorable scenes portrayed in this issue, not least of which is the dramatic reveal.
Matt Smith was the lead artist for this issue. So give them credit for all of the quirky scenes and the expressions and tension that lingers throughout the entire issue. I was particularly impressed with the sense of mass and movement in one of the final scenes involving many bodies. That could not have been easy.
Chris O’Halloran was the colorist, and he also did a brilliant job. Their colors feel so lush, even (or perhaps especially) in the darker night scenes. There’s something that feels so very fantastical about the color palette that has been chosen. It sets the tone.
Finally, Jim Campbell was the letterer, and their words and placement led us around the action. Ensuring that we all came to the same result in the end. It was the final touch that this issue needed.
Conclusion
Folklords #5 was a dramatic read, an issue full of surprising twists, action, and much more. It felt like the first plot arc has been properly wrapped up here while setting us up for many more events in the future.
I’m sure I’m not the only person out there coming up with dozens of theories about what is happening here or what will happen next. That makes the series so much more exciting in my book.
This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.
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