By Svetlana Fedotov
Doing a true all-ages work is hard to pull off. Balancing the child-like wonderment of children stories while creating a tale that appeals to older readers without diving off into kiddie fart jokes takes a serious steady hand that few possess. While animated endeavors such as Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Gravity Falls have managed to create a visual wonder for the kids in all of us, the comic industry is just now catching up to the possibility of entertaining both parents and their brood. Thankfully, it looks like Archaia/BOOM! Studios had gotten the notice early, and on top of their already stellar line up of cross-generational work have recently released the dark fantasy Feathers. A bit gothy, a bit mysterious, but all adventure, Feathers follows the lives of two kids who desperately wish to break away from their parents stronghold only to find each other. It’s very sweet.
Set in a city named Maze Town (as the streets are as dangerous as they are easy to get lost in), the comic opens up on a man finding a baby abandoned in the streets. As he lifts the mewling bonnie boy, he quickly notices it’s no ordinary child, but one covered head to toe in black feathers. Unbeknownst to the man, they are both being watched by unseen voices, voices with big plans for the both of them. Soon, eleven years pass and the boy, now named Poe (yup, Poe), has become an urban legend among Maze Town, spending his days helping homeless kids from the shadows and his nights on missions with his adopted father. As he dreams of freely walking among the populace, a girl across town dreams of the same thing as she lives in the gilded cage of the rich. Luckily for them, destiny has heard their call and has begun spinning the wheels in ways that would change their lives forever.
I am absolutely digging this new series. Granted, I’m a sucker for all-ages dark fantasy work, but even if I wasn’t, Feathers absolutely stands out as a comic to watch. While the first issue doesn’t give much in what to expect in the overall story arc, it has set itself up fantastically to the possibilities. It’s one of those comics that read like a book and the first issue is simply the first chapter, which I’m sure wouldn’t work outside of something billed as all-ages. Also, the characters are brilliantly fun and relatable, each with their own personality that would attract the wanderlust spirit of even the grumpiest of old men. Sure, they’re young and shoe-horned to be wild, freedom-yearning creatures to move the story along, but so what? Who doesn’t love a good hero’s journey? Throw caution at the wind, you crazy kids!
Definitely a solid standout in terms of appearance is the pen work by the writer Jorge Corona and Jen Hickman. It appears as if they channeled their inner Mike Mignola, mixed it with Ted Naifeh’s spirit, and a boiled the mess with some Pixar magic creating a visual panorama of spreading cityscapes and tons of spooky shadows. There are plenty of fun, cartoony angles that harken to moving animation while still keeping with the four panel spirit. The characters are also wonderfully expressive and have very unique appearances, letting the story flow naturally page after page. I’m also really digging Poe’s little yellow goggles, giving him a cute creative signature as the lead.
If you’ve been looking for a good comic start your tween on, look no further than Feathers. It’s a mile a minute romp that’ll have the kids clambering for more.