SUNDER VOL. 1

A goat searching for the owner of a magical book comes across kindly strangers and formidable foes in Comtois’ graphic novel.

Zeek is a young goat and a humble librarian at a monastery. His daily excitement consists of snacking on freshly baked bread and reading adventure stories. One day, while shelving books, Zeek discovers one he’s never seen before (“it’s a very peculiar book indeed”). When opened, it emits a burst of light and knocks the librarian unconscious. The abbot, a soft-spoken bear, determines this book is one of magic; knowing Zeek has long yearned for an adventure of his own, he sends him to find its owner. Zeek’s first stop is a village where an apothecary’s customer has bought rare ingredients used in alchemical recipes. For every accommodating person Zeek encounters, there’s another who’s outright sinister, from callous thugs to scary types who are after the book. Luckily, Zeek teams up with traveling thieves Immane, a muscle-bound ram, and the unironically named Mouse. They all soon get an inkling as to the book’s extraordinary nature and power. Comtois’ deft character development makes it easy to dote on Zeek; he’s an orphan who doesn’t hesitate to help others, even at his own peril. His adventure reveals details of a world set in a medievallike period (with knights in armor) in which space travel also exists. The cast includes anthropomorphic animals, most of whom tower over Zeek; even Mouse, who often runs ahead of him (or sits on Immane’s shoulder), seems bigger. Much of the story is told through the visuals, courtesy of the author’s illustrations. The images detail striking physical traits (like Mouse’s tail or the abbot’s round belly) and create a sublime atmosphere with pitch-black shadows and blue-grey scenes illuminated by torches or candlelight. The ending makes it apparent that this delightful story is far from over.

Top-notch characters and sensational artwork whip up a crowd-pleasing series starter.