The Maze
The Maze © Metaphrog
| The Maze Metaphrog |
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Forget Captain Corelli's Mandolin, comics got there first with this story from the Metaphrog stable. Although similar to Mr Le Berniere's tale in that the events revolve around a female central character, all comparisons stop there. The Maze is a modern drama which orbits around the mosquito tasty Xia working in a bar on the Greek island of Kristos.
It's the end of the season in this Greek idyll but the beginning of something more sinister is afoot, as Xia becomes involved, despite herself, with a political hot potato courtesy of her boyfriend and her involvement with a beggar boy who lives on the poor side of town. Yes, big business is moving in, nothing new in that, but it is sensitively and organically handled by the Metaphrog unit and they invest this scenario with originality.
Xia makes an interesting fulcrum for the ancillary characters to act around as the story moves forward and the comic steps clear of clichés that a story like this might insist on. There are a host of supporting characters and they are all believable and necessary.
The artwork is strong and clear with some very nice natural figure drawing, especially of the female characters, which is refreshing in the small press arena.
On a personal note, as a one-time inhabitant of a small seaside town in N. E. Lincs. I was delighted to meet Mr. Cleethorpe.
The continuation of this saga see reality fray and unravel before Xia after she is framed at customs and put under pressure from the authorities. She takes it upon herself to try and sort the mess out but only winds up more deeply involved. She gets ever more lost in the Maze. The artwork does a great job of suggesting this with sharp angles and extreme perspective so that when to real hallucinations kick in later the comic has a strong atmosphere of chaos. Whereas that first part set up the drama in a level and traditionally structured way the second part leaps and twists taking us in extreme and unexpected places.
This is what we want from Small Press stuff, original voices tackling traditional subject matter in a fresh way. The Maze is admirably ambitious and looks towards the European traditions of Band Designee dramas
Artwork even better than the first issue with some subtle rendering of the Greek landscapes, economical brushwork suggesting the orchards, cliffs and caves where the action takes place. Top notch stuff from the sacred Metaphrog being.
Chris Webster
| The Maze: #1 32 26x17cm pages, glossy 3 colour cover #2 40 26x17cm pages, glossy 2 colour cover . |
Recieved at ZUM! HQ: no info |
#1
£2.25/$3.65/FF22.50 +50p P+P #2 £2.50/$3.65/FF20 +50p P+P |
Metaphrog, 34 Springhill Gdns, Shawlands, Glasgow G41 2EY. |