Spinning out of the fantasy world of Warploque Miniatures comes a stand-alone comic with it’s own set of miniatures AND an impressive team of indie creators behind it – so I HAD to get a look.
It follows a failed Wizard known as The Explorer who is still trying to turn that failure into success and with the discovery of a mystical book in the library a quick borrow triggers a sea of trouble for him. That trouble sees him on a wanted posters faster than you can cast a spell and life on the run sees this mild-mannered magician thrown into the helping hands of anyone he can afford…..which turns out to be not that much.
There IS a glimmer of hope for him though and a rag-tag group of mercenaries help him on his way up to a pre-approved credit limit or at least that’s what they’re cruel exterior would have you think. Wild adventures with weird and wonderful creatures ensues and with a coming-of-age tale unfolding before your eyes it’s impossible not to be swept up in all the hijinks they experience along the way.
Mike Garley fits together a well-crafted story to introduce the ArcWorlde landscape and on the shoulder of The Explorer he manages to keep a fine balance between all those elements in a way that nicely emphasizes the all-ages appeal of comics and the game it’s based on. The mix of slapstick humour but real pearl facing the core group gives everything the adventure vibe it needs and gives the option for further tales an appealing level of possibility.
The visuals from Russell Mark Olson’s art and Lou Ashworth’s colours are an added level of strength to the whole story and helps make sure that the humour & risks hit the heights they need to. The world is given life thanks to that art/colour combo which is key in making the fantasy elements all the more plausible and all the more enjoyable as a result. Kudos to Mike Stock on lettering too as he has a lot to do but keeps everything under control so that the story flows from misadventure to adventure and back again.
This comic tie-in to the ArcWorlds creation from Alex Huntley sets off on the right foot from the get-go and the momentum keeps things flowing so effortlessly that it feels like you’re on-board without it trying too much. That infectious air that it has is helped by the quality of the creative team behind it & it hammers home the fun that’s on show with every page turn but that’s all while giving the game & it’s miniatures a preview that will have many more intrigued and ready for more. While the world of miniatures may not be an immediate thought for everyone, there’s no reason why crossovers can’t fuel interest in both and with a release like this it manages to draw attention to ArcWorlde in all it’s forms – fun adventure starts here.
You can get your hands on this issue through the campaign link below:
ArcWorlde: Tales from the Journal Kickstarter
You can also check in with the creators and Warploque Miniatures through the links below too:
Warploque Miniatures: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Mike G: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Patreon
Russell: Website, Facebook, Twitter,
Mike S: Website, Facebook, Twitter,
8/10
G-Man
COMICS ANONYMOUS 