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Beastlands #1
Publisher: Curtis Clow
Story: Curtis Clow
Artist: Jo Mi-Gyeong
Letters: Toben Racicot

I can always appreciate a fundamentally flawed protagonist. A little dysfunction just makes characters more interesting to root for, because there is an inherent drama in discovering how they developed that way. In Beastlands #1, main protagonist Mac is a headstrong adolescent driven incessantly onward in search of his father. When it comes to unreasonably driven characters I tend to reserve a lot of skepticism for a myopic devotion to self. While the “persistence at any cost mentality” can lead to great success, the practice tends to engender tremendous personal sacrifice for both the individual and the “support system.”  Creator Curtis Clow dives right into the gravity of this kind of unintended consequence right in the first issue with a lead that is definitely compromised, but not without merit. That’s what makes Beastlands so interesting to me.

Mac is accompanied on his quest by friends Ava and Ping, as well as large animal companions Luna and Renzo. The “Keepers” belong to Ava and Mac respectively, and appear to be approximations of somewhat familiar mythical beasts. A word of caution: Animal lovers beware. Though the Keepers seem loyal and obedient, and are beautifully designed and rendered, some suffer rather violently because of their connection to humanity. The treatment of the Keepers is only one aspect of a surprisingly dour tenor throughout Beastlands as Clow wastes little time establishing the tone in this first issue. As the party very decisively dispatches a group of bandits who openly threaten Ava with rape and torture, it is clear that the medieval style is more than just an aesthetic choice. 

For their part, the teens come across as experienced and capable adventurers, but it doesn’t take long for Mac’s self-centered fixation to become dangerous and divide the group. I do appreciate the glimpse of rather dark introspection on Mac’s part after they separate. This kind of window into his doubts and uncertainty helps to make him more relatable in spite of his stubbornness, especially when cast against Ava’s objective pragmatism. Mac’s decisions may well cost him and his companions dearly and it’s telling to observe how he grapples with leadership. 

While the dark themes and use of profanity confirm that this story is intended for a mature audience, I found that the vernacular pulled me out of the story pretty abruptly. Although writer Curtis Clow asserts that the dialogue is intended to give the world a unique identity, I would say the perceived disconnect is more a testament to how well artist Jo Mi-Gyeong has crafted the visual aspects of the narrative. His world building lends an engrossing layer of polish to Beastlands, particularly in the disheartening opening pages. I would personally prefer a stricter adherence to the medieval theme as far as dialogue is concerned, but this gripe may be immaterial to other readers. In our interview, Curtis mentioned that the relationship between Mac and Renzo was inspired by personal experience and I feel that connection to the material definitely shines through and the unfolding story will be all the better for it.           

Christian Davenport
cable201@comicattack.net