SUMMARY:
Publish by CrossGen Entertainment, this untitled issue was released for August 2003. A heroic quest to recover a mystical arrow’s five fragments is now 3/5 of the way complete. Yet, defiant prisoner Arwyn is being escorted by Bohr’s troll army to Mordath’s stronghold. To his skeptical captive, Bohr recalls the backstory of his army’s allegiance to the demonic Mordath.
Ambushed by bloodthirsty dinosaurs called Razormouths, Arwyn & Bohr may be forced into an unholy alliance amidst the bloody mayhem.
REVIEW:
Including the cover, Greg Land’s imagery is high-caliber – it’s consistent with his lush painting-like style. Writer Ian Edginton’s scripting mostly holds up its end, as the plot (with a helpful summary included) is an easy jumping-on point. Bohr’s characterization interestingly leaves open what he might do next; in that sense, he comes off more compelling than the traditional rebel/vengeful heroine, Arwyn. Their tentative team-up plays out in a way that shouldn’t disappoint readers.
Edginton’s dialogue is easy to grasp … maybe too much so. Much like Kevin Costner’s lazy American take inhabiting Robin Hood, it’s disingenuous that Arwyn and Bohr both enunciate in spotless modern English, including some colloquialisms. Granted, George Lucas made the same kind of creative choice fit the original Star Wars films, but Edginton’s rendition tends to deplete Sojourn’s credibility. Had he indicated that this world’s dialogue was ‘translated’ for readers, that would have worked. For that matter, just inserting some Red Sonja-style lingo would have been appreciated, plausibility-wise.
Sojourn # 25 is a pretty good read, but it had the potential to be better.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The inside front cover summarizes the saga-to-date, including main characters Arwyn, Gareth, Cassidy, & Bohr. Aside from plenty of ads, the two-page “Can’t Get Enough” column has CrossGen insider news and a profile on artist Steve Epting. The column also includes reports from Philadelphia’s Wizard World: East and even a staff recommendation for rival DC’s Batgirl: Year One. A full-page cover reveal for Sojourn # 26 is provided.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
