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Abadazad #1
By Kevin Scott
March 29, 2004 - 10:29

Crossgen
Writer(s): J.M. DeMatteis
Penciller(s): Mike Ploog, Butch Guice
Colourist(s): Brian Miller
Cover Artist(s): Mike Ploog
$2.99 US



abadazad01.jpg
A fantasy-adventure in the tradition of Oz, Narnia, Neverland, Dr. Seuss, Madeleine L'Engle, A.A. Milne, Susan Cooper and all the great children's literature. Abadazad is a magical land that Kate, a cynical fourteen year-old, has only known through a series of famous fantasy novels by Franklin O. Barrie, which she would read to her little brother. So what would happen if she were to find out it’s a real place? (Note: Nearly all of this 1st chapter — which is set on Earth — will be illustrated by Guice. Ploog will draw all of the scenes in Abadazad in this and all upcoming issues.)

After all the praise I’d heard for this book and the lovely Loretta’s glowing review, I decided to pick this up and I wasn’t let down. The story was told in such an enticing way. The manner in which the story was narrated and flowed was perfect, you got such a sense of the love Kate had for Matt. And then you can see the overwhelming loss she and her Moms felt, even though they both expressed it in different ways. You really felt like you'd read something by the end (most CROSSGEN stuff was a quick (well, quicker) read for me, but this took longer than 30 minutes) and I can’t speak for everyone, but I really wanted to know what happened next right then and there.

As soon as you open up the issue you are overwhelmed, the art is superb. It wasn't realistic, but it had such feeling to it. It was easy to see the love between Kate and Matt. And this makes the forlorn dejection in the Kate and Frances eyes (both are aged beyond their years) even more heart breaking. And the panel layout doesn’t just give you a sense of a story book, but it helps give you the sentiment of an intimate story.

Report Card - A+

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