Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Review: Ever After #7

By Philip Schweier
March 22, 2017 - 09:39

Introducing a prologue to a new story arc. Feathertop hopes to be introduced to a powerful warlock, a former student at a school for the magically inclined located in Manhattan. Maddy, a cat who used to be an instructor at said school, relates a tale as a precursor to what’s to come.

Maddy explains how the school itself was attempting to rebuild itself, leaving messages for staff and students to find amidst its crumbling structure. The latest message sent Maddy and a handful of students in pursuit of the “bird house.” Not a house for birds, but a bird with the body of a house, or vice versa. However, it is currently occupied, and its tenant wants nothing to do with them, until one of the students convinces him otherwise.

I appreciated the more fantastic elements of the story, however they seem borrowed from other sources, such as Harry Potter and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). The most original element was the concept of the magical castle being sentient as it attempts to repair itself. But as a prologue, there is tremendous room for expansion on previous ideas, taking them in new, more original directions. I’m willing to be optimistic in that regard.

I appreciated the artwork, as it reminded me of one of my favorite classic comic book artists, Gil Kane. I’m a little uncertain about the coloring, though. I realize digital coloring allows for a broader scope of color and texture, but in this case I think a flatter, monotone approach would have been to my liking. But that just may be a by-product of the Gil Kane overtones. Much of his work predates the digital age, so it seemed out of place. But I will acknowledge that is entirely my interpretation, and others may feel differently.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12