Writer: Mike Loniewski
Artist: Dan Lauer
Lettering: E.T. Dollman
Publisher: Alterna Comics

Myth is a three-part series being published by Alterna Comics, and follows the adventures of a young boy named Sam who escapes the clutches of a cruel orphanage and seeks refuge in a nearby woods. While hiding out there, a chance encounter with a solitary giant opens him up to a whole world of adventure and danger, and gives him the chance to be the hero he always dreamed of being.

I’ve got to say, for an all-ages comic, Myth is a hell of a read, and clearly has a lot to offer for – as the genre would suggest – all ages.  However, while some all-ages comics can be pitched a little heavily towards younger readers, leaving us grown-ups wondering ‘what’s in this for us?’, writer Mike Loniewski has managed to include a lot of content  here for the adult readers too, complete with a fantastically well-developed backstory and mythology.

Dan Lauer’s artwork is expressive and emotional, although there is the odd occasion where the backgrounds can become a little overwhelming and threaten to swallow up the characters themselves.  And while this is certainly a useful effect to have in some circumstances (Sam exploring the mysterious forest, for instance), it can come across as a little muddled in others.  Lauer does have a definite gift for action scenes though, keeping the story flowing with a kinetic, dynamic style that’s difficult not to be impressed by.

The visual style of the book also has a lot in common with Mike Kunkel’s Eisner-Award winning comic book series Herobear and the Kid, which is most definitely more of a compliment than a criticism.  The heavily-inked black and white style works well to get the story across, although there are a few instances where the panels can bleed into one another due to the use of white borders on a white background.  Still, these are only minor niggles in the grand scheme of things, especially when dealing with such a beautifully illustrated book.

There’s a terrific sense of escapism here, with Sam getting to live out his superhero fantasy for real, and the tremendous bond he forms with his silent protector is wonderfully well realised.  Some of the backstory can be a little dense in places, it has to be said, with a little too much exposition being required in order to explain what’s happening, but the basic premise of the child stepping up to fulfil a mysterious prophecy and battle an ancient evil is skilfully executed.

Sam is a brilliant protagonist, too.  Wilful and confident without every becoming dislikeable, and Loniewski admits to having drawn on his own experiences working with special needs children who have lived with abuse and neglect to help bring this story – and its hero – to life.  What’s more, the creators have decided to donate all proceeds from the first issue of Myth to ChildHelp.org (a leading organization in the fight against child abuse and neglect), which is a worthwhile cause in anyone’s book, I’m sure you’ll agree.

So overall, what we have here is an interesting, exciting dose of fantasy escapism, and a story that clearly has a lot to offer regardless of your age or background.  And with such a worthy cause and motivation behind it, you could do a hell of a lot worse than check it out.

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You can pick up all three issues of Myth from ComiXology right now!

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson (aka Ceej)
Article Archive: Ceej Says