Reviews by Alex Kennedy (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} 7comicsaweek) wrote,@ 2005-03-19 16:53:00 |
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Mora #1 (Image)
Written and Drawn by Paul Harmon
I feel sad that many people may take a quick glance at Mora and mentally relegate it to the endless stream of so-called "goth comics" that litter up the stands of many comics shops. It's much more than that, and although it might superficially resemble the glut of post-Vasquez cutesy gloomy books, it's got a lot more to it than that. It's clear from his little afterword that creator Paul Harmon has poured his heart and soul into the creation of this book, and the effort has something substantial and very pretty to show for it.
Mora is one of those timeless faerie tale sorts of stories, set in an indeterminate time and vague sort of place. Narrated by the somewhat worse for wear duo of Rabbit and Tortoise. Through their narration, we see the birth of Mora, Anandra and an as yet unnamed Lion cub, all whom are tied together by some greater destiny. That's of course pretty vague at this point... so suffice to say that things are pointing to Mora being some kind of witch, and that she can see little gnome creatures that escape the gaze of her neglectful parents. As much as this might sound a little, well airy-fairy there's also a very genuine wry humour and palpable darkness to the proceedings. Harmon has done an excellent job establishing the tone for Mora in one short issue that he can flow naturally from a lighter more fable-ish feel to a sinister scary one. The birth of the young Lion's lust for blood and the horrible transformation of the Owlen-Man are both excellent examples of how fluidly the change can take place. Strong storytelling is the key to be sure, and Harmon's writing and art in that regard are quite seamless. Being a writer/artist means being able to play to your own strengths, but one gets the impression that Paul is not satisfied making things easy on himself, he wants a challenge. That all goes back to how much work he's obviously put into this comic. Any minor problems I had with the lettering and spelling are easily dismissed by the sheer enthusiasm inherent in this project. Labours of love can be self-indulgent and impenetrable to the outsider but Mr. Harmon has managed to balance his own love for what he's doing with accessibility. I'd compare it to Scott Morse's Soulwind, in that it presents it's own fantasy world, childlike and adult at the same time.
I'm happy to recommend Mora to anyone interested in something a little funny, a little dark and a a little fantastical. I'm sure fans of Tim Burton will find it an enjoyable read, but beyond that it has a lot of appeal for those of us looking for bright new creators to follow. Harmon has set himself up quite nicely, I hope to see his efforts rewarded. Anyone willing to dedicate this much to comics deserves it.
Written and Drawn by Paul Harmon
I feel sad that many people may take a quick glance at Mora and mentally relegate it to the endless stream of so-called "goth comics" that litter up the stands of many comics shops. It's much more than that, and although it might superficially resemble the glut of post-Vasquez cutesy gloomy books, it's got a lot more to it than that. It's clear from his little afterword that creator Paul Harmon has poured his heart and soul into the creation of this book, and the effort has something substantial and very pretty to show for it.
Mora is one of those timeless faerie tale sorts of stories, set in an indeterminate time and vague sort of place. Narrated by the somewhat worse for wear duo of Rabbit and Tortoise. Through their narration, we see the birth of Mora, Anandra and an as yet unnamed Lion cub, all whom are tied together by some greater destiny. That's of course pretty vague at this point... so suffice to say that things are pointing to Mora being some kind of witch, and that she can see little gnome creatures that escape the gaze of her neglectful parents. As much as this might sound a little, well airy-fairy there's also a very genuine wry humour and palpable darkness to the proceedings. Harmon has done an excellent job establishing the tone for Mora in one short issue that he can flow naturally from a lighter more fable-ish feel to a sinister scary one. The birth of the young Lion's lust for blood and the horrible transformation of the Owlen-Man are both excellent examples of how fluidly the change can take place. Strong storytelling is the key to be sure, and Harmon's writing and art in that regard are quite seamless. Being a writer/artist means being able to play to your own strengths, but one gets the impression that Paul is not satisfied making things easy on himself, he wants a challenge. That all goes back to how much work he's obviously put into this comic. Any minor problems I had with the lettering and spelling are easily dismissed by the sheer enthusiasm inherent in this project. Labours of love can be self-indulgent and impenetrable to the outsider but Mr. Harmon has managed to balance his own love for what he's doing with accessibility. I'd compare it to Scott Morse's Soulwind, in that it presents it's own fantasy world, childlike and adult at the same time.
I'm happy to recommend Mora to anyone interested in something a little funny, a little dark and a a little fantastical. I'm sure fans of Tim Burton will find it an enjoyable read, but beyond that it has a lot of appeal for those of us looking for bright new creators to follow. Harmon has set himself up quite nicely, I hope to see his efforts rewarded. Anyone willing to dedicate this much to comics deserves it.
