Every once in awhile, I am treated to something that I am unprepared for. I am not a big time comic book fan, but in the past few issues, comics have found their way into my world. At the ICON Convention, something caught my eye. Something about the cover pulled me to the table and I knew I had to review this comic book. Tall Tails became an unexpected treat.
Tall Tails has gone through so much to become what it is today. Having enjoyed a three issue run for Golden Realm Unlimited in 1995, things just stopped for the story about animals fighting for control in a kingdom much like medieval Earth. Despite the untimely demise of the series, the visions behind Tall Tails could not say goodbye and in 1998, the series was brought it back in full force under Vision Comics. The first four issues came with a beautifully illustrated color cover depicting the characters. Inside, a wonderfully drawn black and white series reminiscent of the many Manga I read, totally captivates the reader's imagination and pulls her or him into the story.
Tall Tails is damn good. Do not expect to see no cutesy characters doing cutesy things. As I read the story, the characters became human to me. It wasn't Animal Farm or Babe or anything stupid like that. This was an adventure and the characters involved were totally kick ass. There is definitely a hint of Disney in this work, a lot of The Secret of NIMH and a great deal of Elf Quest within these pages. You can see the influences, but Tall Tails stands apart as an epic tale.
It's hard to not get involved with the story when you see the great depths the writers will go to in making sure the story stays alive. With Vision Comics was not able to support Tall Tails anymore, the series moved over to Angel Wing Comics to a new, smaller comic book with a different type of cover. It almost looked like the inside of a coloring book, and that was kind of cool. The new, almost pocket-sized edition of Tall Tails continues right where the series left off, not changing despite the change of format.
Tall Tails is a story of Tigers, Rats, Trolls, and more animals, vying for control of a kingdom and possession of the Great Seal of Iberion. The stars of this series are Ravenwood and his merry men. He is in search of this seal and will stop at nothing to get it. The adventure begins when he encounters a young boy named Andrew whose real name is Christian Castlewal. Christian just happens to be the son of Rowenoak, King of Lifdell. With the son of the King gone, Cromwell, an honorable knight for the King goes on a hunt to find him. Cromwell visits his cousin, Ravenwood, and discovers his own flesh and blood has been harboring the son. This leads to a battle between the two family members.
This all ends when Trolls attempt to kill Cromwell and his men. Ravenwood saves him and the two embrace, deciding to help each other in their common quests. What transpires next is an excellent story with intrigue and many questions. Can everyone that Cromwell knows be trusted? Are his allies, really his enemies? What is important about the Great Seal and what is going on within the kingdom? There is so much to learn and after only reading 12 issues, I am clamoring for more. I need to know what happens next. These heroes have become part of my world.
You will want to read this series, after only a few issues, you will discover that black and white images are better than colored ones. I feel like I am seeing more detail, more depth and more life. The dialogue is intense and contains the right touches of humor to keep the story interesting. This isn't a dumb down comic book. It is very well written. The story is full of action as well as good plot points. Besides the obvious battles, there are subplots involved. The betrayals, the friendship between Silvermain and Gabriel, the budding romance between Ravenwood and Pandora, and Pandora's love for a child she discovers, all make for interesting story telling and advancement of character. The characters are very likeable and I really enjoy Pandora and Ravenwood together and the fun stupidity of Raulph, the self-professed magician extraordinaire. The fight scenes are intense and full of blood. Everything about this series is well rounded and well planned. There is a plan to continue this series for ten years until 2008, so expect a lot of tall tales from Tall Tails. You have a lot of catching up to do and you better start now.
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