The new Labyrinth comic from Boom! Studios is set to tell the origin of how Jareth (a role made famous by the late great David Bowie) became the Goblin King. Will this book appeal to fans of Jim Henson’s beloved film?
Summary
As Jareth watches Sarah struggle to make her way through the Labyrinth, he begins to tell Toby a story of a young couple who were plagued by goblins.
Writing
The main obstacle to overcome with this series is making sure it is something fans can resonate with it. There have been many attempts to make comic book continuations of the Labyrinth series but few have left any lasting impression. If writer Simon Spurrier has any hope of this book not falling into obscurity he will have to make it offers something interesting which the audience hasn’t seen before. Luckily, he succeeds.
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The book captures the energy of Jareth but goes further by showcasing what his parents were like. It’s revealed his father had a history of being visited by the goblins which was beginning to drive him insane. Meanwhile his mother seems to be much like Sarah, a person who won’t give up on rescuing someone they love. Immediately this book makes you connect, albeit in different ways with these two characters. You find yourself despising the father and cheering from the mother. If they truly are the main characters of the entire series than it will be fascinating to see what transpires for them moving forward.
Artwork
The artwork for this series seems to capture the look of the original film perfectly. The art for Jareth is very recognizable without going full photorealistic with his character design. Also, the goblins and their previous king look much more menacing and sinister thanks to the work by Daniel Bayliss.
The color work by Dan Jackson offers some disturbing elements to the story. The way Jareth’s speech bubbles are different than anyone else’s helps the reader discern how his words are supposed to have more meaning. There also is a big difference between the human world from the world of the Goblins thanks made apparent through the colors in play.
The lettering by Jim Campbell helps to add a voice to the characters. The different fonts distinguish between the elegant speech of Jareth, the sneaky voice of the goblins, and the modest speech of the humans. It helps the reader immediately know which voice should be hears from panel to panel.
Conclusion
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation is off to a great start. There is a bit of worry a full twelve issues may result in the project eventually running out of steam. Still, if every issue is as captivating as this one then Boom! Studios will have created a book which will leave Labyrinth fans more than happy they got lost in the nostalgia.
