Zeb Larson reviews Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #3…
Enter: Goodfoot the Sly. Is she here to help the wizards…or herself? [Hint: herself.]
Autumnlands has really settled into a sweet spot, after spending a couple of issues setting the stage for the drama to come. The wait has paid off, and we can now see numerous conflicts and drama to come. It’s safe to say that this is one of the best fantasy comic books being published right now, and it is welcome at a time when high fantasy is hard to find. I will be discussing spoilers ahead, so read on at your own discretion.
There’s considerable disbelief among the various animals about the nature of the champion. He appears to have come from a futuristic past in the midst of a war, though it’s unclear against whom he was fighting. His name is Steven T. Learoyd, and he’s unclear if he’s dreaming, hallucinating, or dying, which makes him less than inclined to help the animals. Sandorst doesn’t really believe that he’s the champion, which many others seem inclined to agree with, and they face considerable problems in the present. A trader named Goodfoot happens to wander in and offer her services to extract the assembled beings, while Learoyd eventually comes around and offers to help. Sandhorst doesn’t trust him, hates Gharta and is jockeying for leadership. And what is Goodfoot’s game in all of this?
What we learned was interesting in this issue, and it ties nicely into this series’ links to prior fantasy series. A fantasy world descending from a sci-fi past is a well-used device from other series, ranging from Terry Brooks’ Shannara series to Adventure Time. He may not be the champion they were expecting, but he’s more than badass enough for the situation. This setting and background is really starting to come together, especially as the tension between magic-wielding animals and those without comes to the fore.
More importantly, all of the narrative foundation has been laid. The first couple of issues moved at a slower pace, and they developed the characters rather slowly as they fleshed out all of the backstory. This wasn’t a bad thing, but now that narrative conflict has been established and it’s coming from several directions, Autumnlands is really paying off. There’s a political struggle, a rogue whose intentions are as yet murky, Learoy’s “man out of time” problem, and of course, magic’s waning power. Dunstan was the only character not to feature prominently in this issue, at least in dialogue, but he was present throughout. Even if he’s only observing, he’ll have a role to play.
There’s also an interesting message about the power of myth and belief at work here. Is myth useful? Learoyd isn’t what anybody expected, and because he is supposed to be a founding figure in this society’s belief systems, his presence is going to continue to destabilize it. Should we get too close to our foundational figures, or are they best kept at arm’s length? I’m excited for the next issue.
Zeb Larson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qqtW2LRPtQY&list=PL18yMRIfoszFJHnpNzqHh6gswQ0Srpi5E
Originally published January 20, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
