Zeb Larson reviews The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw #2…
After the shattering disaster last issue, the Great Champion of ancient legend is reawakened. And things get worse. Plus! A special variant cover by ALEX ROSS, painting more animal-people at once than he ever has before!
I’m really starting to like where this series is headed. Tooth & Claw continues its run by unveiling the mystery of the Great Champion’s identity, as well as dealing with some of the literal fallout of the last issue. The plot is starting to pick up steam here, and with the characters and a crisis in place, we can look forward to seeing where the plot will take us next.
We’re briefly treated to another tale of the Champion’s exploits by the various animals. Dunstan and the others are taking stock of what to do next when the wizardess Gharta reminds them that they have a number of practical concerns right in front of them. The lesser-animals who can’t use magic, such as the buffalo from last issue, are moving to settle scores and address long-standing maltreatment. At what better moment could you have the Champion enter to profoundly surprise and disturb every being in sight?
If you read the last issue, the Great Champion’s nature should not be any kind of surprise. That still shouldn’t take away from the surprise that Dunstan and the others feel as they see the Champion and realize how alien he is. This issue only has just enough time to introduce the character and get people thinking, but there must be some long-term ramifications for this discovery. The Champion is a quasi-religious figure to these beings, and suddenly their image of themselves in the universe has been fractured.
I’m loving the set-up stories at the beginning of every issue, particularly with the R.E. Howard inspired prose as well as the deliberately retro artwork. It juxtaposes well with the artwork in the rest of the issue, and situates the series in the vein of classic Tor fantasy novels. The artwork in the main part of the issue is great as well. Every animal has a really strong, distinct appearance, and I particularly enjoy the fine costumes of the magic-wielding animals against the more rustic and primitive outfits of the “lesser” animals.
Now that we’re two issues and the Great Champion has more or less been revealed, the next question has to be what the main thrust of the plot will be. Everything here happened because Gharta wanted to restore magic and prop up this ailing civilization. Based on what we’ve seen so far, though, it doesn’t look like the Champion will have the ability to snap his fingers and restore magic to what it once was. What then? And how will that mix with the political and religious ramifications of realizing what his true nature is? The mix is likely to be a flammable one.
My only wish is for some more characterization in subsequent issues. Dunstan is a fairly typical wide-eyed, young protagonist. What about Gharta? Are her motives as sincere as they appear, or does she have an angle? How about other animals? We need a few more characters to really flesh this series out, but all in due time. I’m looking forward to the next issue.
Zeb Larson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzYUW1bfw34&feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszFJHnpNzqHh6gswQ0Srpi5E
Originally published December 6, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
