A bit of a late review, as life’s been hectic. This issue came out last Wednesday, and since I loved the first issue, which was a pleasant surprise, I eagerly got this one too.

Writer/artist Soo Lee returns to give us a story that both continues from the plot of the first issue and works as a standalone story, which is an impressive feat that not as many modern writers seem to be capable of, in my opinion.

This issue introduced Prince Gavin, heir of a nearby kingdom who is also the older brother of Reynard, the young traveler who encountered Maleficent and foolishly tried to steal from her. Maleficent punished him by turning him into a small wolf-like animal setting him off to live in the jungle. Unaware of this, Prince Gavin is on horseback searching for Reynard and eventually comes across Maleficent who tells him what happened. First, he begs for his brother’s return, but when Maleficent refuses, he challenges her to a fight…

Once again, I love the mood that Soo Lee creates with her artwork, the jungle she draws is suitably terrifying. At one point Prince Gavin is confronted by a giant talking snake which is straight out of my nightmares. Storywise, I’ll also note that Maleficent comes off more like the traditional villain that she is typically portrayed as. In this first issue, you could argue that her actions were justified, as she tried to be merciful, and even nice, towards Reynard, and only reacted harshly after he betrayed her. But in this issue, she’s just evil for the sake of it, and the poor Prince clearly doesn’t realize what he’s up against. I’m looking forward to seeing if Maleficent gets better or worse as the series progresses.

Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

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