Reviewer: Chris Delloiacono
Story Title: N/A
Written by: Gabriel Benson
Penciled and Inked by: Mike Hawthorne
Colored by: Mike Atiyeh
Lettered by: Omar Mediano
Cover by: Jeff Amano
Managing Editor: Gabriel Benson
Publisher: Beckett Comics
It’s not just me! There are rave reviews all over the ‘net for The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty. The buzz began building following the release of issue #1 as a part of Free Comic Book Day this past July. Thankfully that fantastic debut wasn’t the end, Ballad is getting better every month. The first two issues were damn good, but this one tops ’em both. The first issue set up the premiseâ€â€there’s a town of legend called Briar Rose, in which all of the inhabitants are sleeping, including the titular female, due to an Indian curse. The premiere issue also introduced us to our protagonists, Cole and Red, as they passed time conversing while they, literally, awaited the hangman’s noose. The second issue featured a daring rescue of our protagonists by Cole’s friend Will and gave us our first look at Cole’s adversary, Drake. The third issue advanced each of those areas, but also enhanced the backstory a good deal, and on top of that, amped up the action considerably.
Since the final page of issue #1 we have been aware of an Indian apparition dogging Cole’s tail. This month we learn how this Indian met his end as well as the tragic part Indians have had in Cole’s life. Cole blames “Indians” for the murder of his wife. Sadly, he was tricked into this. I love a well written tragic hero in the mold of William Shakespeare’s greatest characters. Cole’s the type of character you root for, but also have reservations about, because of his sad history and the tragedies that may befall him down the line. He’s not your prototypical hero. There’s a wonderful gravitas brought to the character, and the book, by using Cole as a protagonist for sure, but not a white-hat-wearing hero.
Obviously there have been ample parts of magic and the supernatural in the first couple of issues. Yet, most of those elements were placed in the background, either in flashbacks or on the periphery of what the main characters experienced. This month, Cole, Red, and Will come face-to-face with these supernatural forces. While they aren’t the better for it the reader certainly is. This emphasis by Gabriel Benson is another strong addition to the story. We’re talking about a fairy tale told as a western; what fairy tale doesn’t offer generous amounts of the supernatural? It had to be here.
Mike Hawthorne continues to bring Gabriel Benson’s script to life with vivid detail. The action, the flashbacks, and the all-around mayhem are done with a depth and flair that brings this fairy tale to life with a flourish.
Hawthorne’s talent can be summed up best as he captures the triumph and horror of the story perfectly in two panels with no dialogue. Midway through the story we see Red’s jubilant reaction to Cole’s promise of aid. In the next panel Red’s face turns to horror over what he can expect if he double-crosses Cole. Those two panels were amazing! This attention to the little details makes the grander story so much more.
This issue marks the end of the first third of this nine part series. The team of Benson/Hawthorne/Atiyeh have delivered the goods so far. I can barely contain my excitement to see where it’s all going!
TIP OF THE WEEK: Are you still waiting to give The Ballad of Sleeping Beauty a look? Beckett recently made the entire first issue available online at www.beckettcomics.com. Just click on the image that says “VIEW ENTIRE ISSUE” and see what the buzz is about.
