The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance: The Journey into the Mondo Leviadin Review
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The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance: The Journey into the Mondo Leviadin is a fantasy comic book. The story is by Jeffery Addiss and Will Matthews, while Matthew Erman writes the comic with art by Jo Migyeong, colors by Fabianna Mascolo, and letters by Jim Campbell. Readers who enjoy The Dark Crystal Netflix series and other fantasy stories will like this comic.
Based on Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, this story takes place during the Age of Divison among the Gelfings. The newly ascended All-Maudra, Mayrin, must show that she cares for all her people, no matter their differences. As she attempts to quell the whispers of rebellion, she finds herself on an unlikely adventure with a unique ally.
The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance: The Journey into the Mondo Leviadin is published by Archaia, a BOOM! Studios imprint and is available on February 17, 2021.
The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance – Story
The comic starts by immediately introducing us to Mayrin, the story’s protagonist. This comic is a collection of three on-going issues, so I appreciated that it gave new readers a place to jump in and understand the story at hand. We know that Mayrin is working to become a good ruler and subvert her mother’s expectations, who has passed from this world into the Thra. Comics don’t always give new readers that sort of established story background, and I think The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance does a good job of balancing the history of the story against the conflict that needs to happen to move the story forward.
Mayrin faces the heavy burden of following in her mother’s footsteps as a leader. She does not wish to emulate her mother, so she battles with doing what is best for her people while also carving out her own path. Mayrin is also trying to keep the seven Gelfing clans at peace, which leads her on an unexpected journey. She finds an unlikely ally in sea Captain Kam’Lu from the Sifa clan, a group that currently wishes to subvert her reign and divide the seven clans.
The storytelling is well-done and captivating. It portrays a very complicated mother/daughter relationship, though mostly in retrospect, as the daughter reflects on her mother’s lessons. I appreciated this unique view because complex or negative maternal relationships are not as common in stories. Even though Mayrin rejects her mother’s influence in many ways, she also realizes that very influence shapes who she is as a person and her capacity to fulfill the role of the All-Maudra of the Gelfings.
The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance – Art
The art in this comic does a fantastic job portraying moments of constant action and adventure. Mayrin, Dot, and Kam’Lu face a lot of danger, and the art helps portray moments of failure and moments that fly with ease. It also compliments the more comical moments that are sprinkled throughout the story. We see some physical comedy moments that are more common in animation or anime, but they are pulled off really well in this comic.
The colors are very subtle, but lovely. The background colors sometimes shift along with the tone of several pages, and it creates an interesting impact on the story as a whole. The lettering also plays a really key role in this comic, as there are lots of noises and intense reactions, highlighted by the use of varying fonts and texts.
The Dark Crystal – Age of Resistance Conclusion
Whether you are a fan of The Dark Crystal or not, this comic is worth checking out for a fun and fast-paced fantasy story. It’s also a great option for those that love Jim Henson’s creation and want to dive deeper into the lore and backstory for it. Though I’ve seen stories with similar “coming of age” arks, I really enjoyed Mayrin’s journey. Her tumultuous relationship with her mother and her need to prove herself make for an exciting tale.
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