It's little Mikey's birthday, and he's enjoying a day at the park, playing catch with his Dad. His mom and brother, back at home, prepare a surprise party. But when Mikey goes to chase a ball into the nearby woods, he disappears.
The tragedy of a missing child soon tears the family apart, with suspicions falling on the father, that soon turn to outright accusations. Mikey's brother fends off barbs at school, and Mom has filed for divorce.
Then, a year later,the investigating detective shows up at the family home, with a development in the case that will prove unbelievable. A stranger has been brought into the station, dressed like something out of a Conan story, telling a mad tale of a kingdom called Terrenos, and of an evil overlord named God King Lore. This stranger claims to be the champion of Terrenos, who overthrew the tyrant, with the help of a race of winged beings called Gideons, and an orc-like mentor named Rook. Even more incredible, is this warrior claims to be the long lost Mikey. The evidence is undeniable, as fingerprints and DNA are an exact match for the missing child. But how? It's been only a year, and this is a full grown man, who has obviously seen the fields of war, and is a stranger from an even stranger land.
But not is all it seems to be, and Mikey's BIRTHRIGHT may be of an an entirely different nature than that of savior!
BIRTHRIGHT moves at a brisk pace, and writer Josh Williamson (NAILBITER, GHOSTED) in his afterword readily acknowledges classic kid empowerment titles like THE GOONIES, STAND BY ME, and THE MONSTER SQUAD as influences, which immediately earns fanboy points from yours truly. Williamson adds a dash of John Carter to things, in the dual worlds/stranger in an even stranger land aspect, and takes it all a step further by showing what happens when "a character returns home, to deal with the consequences" of having been through such adventures.
BIRTHRIGHT is 3 issues in now, and I'm very excited to see where it's all going. The twists and turns are clever and unexpected, the plotting brisk and assured. The art of co-creator Andrei Bressan BATMAN INC, THE GREEN LANTERN), and colorist Adriano Lucas is staggering. And by staggering, I mean jaw dropping in it's breadth and detail. This book really works at bringing together a high fantasy world, and modern suburbia. It keeps things believable, while at the same time being wildly, colorfully, fantastical. The two page splash in the middle of the first issue, where Rook and Mikey stand over Terrenos, surveying it's grandiosity and scope, is album cover worthy, and the interior art overall is nothing short of some of the best being done today. BIRTHRIGHT is superb, and setting a high standard for itself and issues to come. This is one quest I am sincerely looking forward to embarking on! Order the first issue HERE and start catching up, like I am! Number 4 drops January 7'th, and it's another that's going in The Box down at the local comic shop.
"For the Rhodes family, losing their son was the most devastating thing that could've ever occurred… but it couldn't prepare them for what happened when he returned."
Rating: 4 out 5
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