New from AfterShock Comics is Backways #3, an entertaining journey into magic that wonderfully blends the worlds of Harry Potter and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Not necessarily a genre that I would typically enjoy, Backways is an engrossing tale in which co-creators Justin Jordan and Eleonara Carlini have crafted an interesting world of magical creatures and characters.
Sylvia has mysteriously disappeared and her friend Anna Merrick is convinced that she has not just ran away without telling her. Her search for Sylvia takes her into the secret nation of the Backways, a place that exists in the areas of our cities and homes that we have forgotten. It is a place filled with magic and a touch of madness, where each citizen has some sort of special magical gift. Anna is an outsider, but she gets help navigating this home for the weird from a woman named Coyote Bones. On their journey, they encounter a number of foes and slowly discover that Anna may be more powerful than anyone in this realm.
Issue 3 begins with the duo having just escaped from Fell, a giant Buddha-looking being that is the finder of lost children and lost things. Anna’s battle with Fell reveals that she possesses the power of whispering, which is the ability to talk to the dead. Anna is now considered a dangerous threat and is being tracked down by The Morning Wolf, resulting in the ultimate confrontation and a major cliffhanger that sees another character finding Anna and Coyote Bones. Issue 3 continues to explore the world of the Backways, while expanding the dynamic of Anna and Coyote Bones. Justin Jordan has delivered a fast-paced and action packed issue that is sure to entertain the readers. The story is both whimsical and dark and is sure to appeal to readers of many ages, not just teens or fans of stories like Harry Potter.
The art from Eleonara Carlini is superb and the style is similar to a manga comic or anime, which especially works for some of the weirder moments in the story. The characters are overly expressive and their movements are extremely dynamic. Combining that with the creative placement of each panel, Carlini’s art is full of details that will have you revisiting each page and panel. The movements and expressions of the wolf in this issue are especially impressive.
Backways is a welcomed surprise, something that I honestly didn’t expect to like that ended up absolutely sucking me into this world of magic. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in issue 4.
-RV
Sylvia has mysteriously disappeared and her friend Anna Merrick is convinced that she has not just ran away without telling her. Her search for Sylvia takes her into the secret nation of the Backways, a place that exists in the areas of our cities and homes that we have forgotten. It is a place filled with magic and a touch of madness, where each citizen has some sort of special magical gift. Anna is an outsider, but she gets help navigating this home for the weird from a woman named Coyote Bones. On their journey, they encounter a number of foes and slowly discover that Anna may be more powerful than anyone in this realm.
Issue 3 begins with the duo having just escaped from Fell, a giant Buddha-looking being that is the finder of lost children and lost things. Anna’s battle with Fell reveals that she possesses the power of whispering, which is the ability to talk to the dead. Anna is now considered a dangerous threat and is being tracked down by The Morning Wolf, resulting in the ultimate confrontation and a major cliffhanger that sees another character finding Anna and Coyote Bones. Issue 3 continues to explore the world of the Backways, while expanding the dynamic of Anna and Coyote Bones. Justin Jordan has delivered a fast-paced and action packed issue that is sure to entertain the readers. The story is both whimsical and dark and is sure to appeal to readers of many ages, not just teens or fans of stories like Harry Potter.
The art from Eleonara Carlini is superb and the style is similar to a manga comic or anime, which especially works for some of the weirder moments in the story. The characters are overly expressive and their movements are extremely dynamic. Combining that with the creative placement of each panel, Carlini’s art is full of details that will have you revisiting each page and panel. The movements and expressions of the wolf in this issue are especially impressive.
Backways is a welcomed surprise, something that I honestly didn’t expect to like that ended up absolutely sucking me into this world of magic. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in issue 4.
-RV