By Barbara Randall Kesel, Heidi Arnhold & Max Kim (TOKYOPOP)
ISBN: 978-1-59816-701-6
The manga movement gains more ground with this wonderful prequel to the classic fantasy movie as Barbara Randall Kesel scripts a gripping and emotive story of oppression and defiance on a far-flung world.
Gelflings are passive, gentle folk; farmers and artisans in a world lacking technology. The real power players are the philosophical Mystics and their depraved and evil counterparts, the Skeksis. Whilst the former are solitary isolationists, the monstrous Skeksis are power-hungry and use the life essence of the Gelflings to extend their own lives.
This story starts as the herder and musician Lahr discovers the giant Garthim are raiding again, taking Gelflings for the Skeksis to consume. Too late to save his own village, he stumbles across Neffi, whose village was also raided by the lobster-like plunderers. The desolates pair up and find another Gelfling village, hidden deep in a ravine.
They are in time to warn them but become embroiled in a deadly debate. Should the Gelflings stay hidden and hope to evade the relentless ravagers or should they abandon everything and run, in the hope of finding some new refuge? Is there another option? Can these gentle creatures learn to fight back in time to save their race?
Enthralling in both script and artwork, this is a quality fantasy tale, that won’t disappoint genre addicts or fans of the original film.
© 1982, 2007 The Jim Henson Company. All Rights Reserved. The Dark Crystal is a trademark of The Jim Henson Company.