“Remembrance” (part 3)

As Four Blades’ Day draws nearer, Shinji considers abandoning the cause, Hilda confronts Sabrina about the dying mana leaf, part of Hemlock’s past is revealed, Sabrina and the Queen of the Magic Realm have a surprising face to face, and Zelda finds -- romance?

Whew! That’s a lot to pack into twenty-three pages. And it doesn’t quite fit. It’s like an overstuffed suitcase that has a few tails hanging out. Tania Del Rio hits a lot of high points this issue. But they become hit-and-run high points as she rushes off to the next cool “Ah-ha!” moment before readers have a chance to absorb the first one. They don’t get time to enjoy the emotional content of the scene before they’re caught up in the next plot twist. Exploring Sabrina’s feelings has been one of the hallmarks of Del Rio’s run on this title and here those moments have been truncated.

On the plot side of things, Del Rio is in top form. She’s pulling together all her storylines in unexpected ways. The Hemlock reveal is surprising, yet absolutely believable given a certain story a few issues ago. Likewise Hilda’s confronting Sabrina comes firmly out of previously established events, helpfully referenced through both dialog and footnotes. But again both scenes could have been drawn out a panel or two more to better effect. Which makes the inclusion of Zelda’s new romance surprising. While it has a connection to past events and Zelda has needed a storyline of her own for ages, it seems out of place here. Either Del Rio is quickly going to tie this relationship into the Four Blades story or she’s planning for a new storyline past issue 100, which would be great news for readers.

Lindsay Cibos, with the able inking of Jim Amash, continues to refine Del Rio’s character designs and make them her own. The cast takes on a fuller, softer look under her pencils. Something particularly noticeable this issue is her focus on the characters’ eyes. They tend to be the first thing you notice in any panel. It’s only after you’ve fallen into the vivid pools that you begin to absorb the other details, and dialog, surrounding them. A perfect example of this is the panel featuring a tearful Hilda. It’s absolutely stunning, providing the emotional heart of the scene which, again, should have gone on a bit longer.

As always Jason Jensen provides beautiful colors. The candy bright colors early in the book are eye-catching and fit the mood of the moment. Later the colors darken and deepen in shade, giving readers a visual clue to the dangers of the Magic Realm.

While part 3 of “Remembrance” is a bit rushed for my taste, it’s still an enjoyable chapter in the continuing saga.

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