Fantasy has never been a genre that has clicked for me. When I tell people I don’t even like Lord of the Rings other than for the filmmaking, Gimili, and the score, they look at me like I slaughtered their family like a battalion of orcs or something middle-earthy (I don’t know I don’t have 50 hours to dedicate to watching 3 movies again). So when I saw Lost Fantasy come into my inbox from Curt Pires, Luca Casalanguida, Mark Dale, and Micah Myers, I hesitated to crack it open.
But! I believe that comics are the only medium in which you can judge a book by its cover because they are one of the most visual, and this book’s cover sold it for me. Casalanguida’s art and Dale’s colors on this book had me on the line like a fish in a barrel. What I found was a really exciting take on the fantasy genre that seemed to be more inspired by role-playing games than classic fantasy lore.
The basic premise is that there is a world beneath our world filled with monsters and magic that made itself known over 100 years ago. Since then, the Great Hunters have kept humanity safe from the creatures that lived down below. But recently, something got through that is really bad news, and it’s up to a rookie, Henry Blackheart, to stop it.
Even though the first issue of Lost Fantasy has to spend a lot of its time setting up its world, it did hook me for one particular reason, which may get you if you’re anything like me. The main character, Henry Blackheart, is kind of a loser. This isn’t a major spoiler or anything of the sort, but the first time we meet them, they are passed out on the NASTIEST looking couch (thanks, Casalanguida and Dale, for your artistic mastery over monsters and the grime that is on display in this scene.) He is surrounded by empty beer bottles, cigarettes, two passed-out people, and just general “what am I doing with my life?” essence. There is something about a kind of rough-around-the-edges hot mess express protagonist that always makes me latch onto a series. I have no interest in a lead who has it all together. If you told me this series was about some hunter who was a master of magic with a happy life and a 401 (k), I wouldn’t have bothered. But I applaud Curt Pires for committing to giving me this dumpster fire lead.
There is an action scene later in the book where we see Blackheart use his magic to select a weapon for battle. It was like watching a player character choose their weapon from a pause screen, but in such a beautiful display before a bombastically illustrated fight. I was impressed with the movement in the battle. The colors chosen by Dale had an almost matte finish, which gives them a Dave Stewart feel. I try not to compare artists, but you can see the inspiration that Mignola and Stewart have had on Casalanguida and Dale in a powerful way while still having their own unique styles as well. It lends so well to the world they are creating with the lettering of Micha Myers and worldbuilding of Curt Pires.
I still have zero plans of watching Lord of the Rings again any time soon. But refreshing fantasy books like Lost Fantasy are a reminder that there are still fantasy stories out there for me. I just have to find the right ones that star people who wake up in what looks to be frat houses on Saturday mornings.