‘King’s Road’ Comic Review

written by Peter Hogan; illustrated by Phil Winslade and Staz Johnson; colored by Phil Winslade and Douglas A. Sirois


King’s Road is forty-eight pages of fantasy and action cohesively working together. The comic gives readers a nontraditional pacing with its action-packed opening, immediately catching readers’ interest.

The story begins with two men tracking something. It is not long before readers see that the men are tracking an animal, and it is one otherworldly: a Fellcat. The stakes to capture the deadly animal quickly escalate when the cat-like creature enters a nearby home. The owner, Sophie, allows the distraught men into her house. She seems confused as to why a man she calls Caloc is there; however, Caloc does not have time to clear up her confusion because the Fellcat makes its presence known and maliciously leaps towards his associate, Hop.

Fortunately, Caloc is able to kill the beast but not before Hop is injured. With the danger subsided, Caloc explains to Sophie why he and Hop are in town; it soon becomes apparent that Sophie and her family will cross paths with plenty of other dangerous entities.

King's Road

According to Calco, the family’s homeland, Avalon, has been conquered by a treacherous witch named Malicia. She slayed Sophie’s brother-in-law, Michael, and is now trying to kill the rest of the royal family. In fact, the Fellcat was sent on her behalf.

With Michael gone, the kingdom’s people are suffering. They are in desperate need of the next rightful heir, Sophie’s husband, Donal. The people of Avalon want Donal to lead a rebellion to restore the kingdom and peace. After some hesitation, Donal agrees to return and fight; however, there are plenty of obstacles to overcome before the family can reach this kingdom of another realm.

For instance, Donal and Sophie’s children know nothing of their true homeland. There will also be issues getting to Avalon since many of the gateways are crawling with Malicia’s associates. Traveling through any of one of the well-known entrances to Avalon could mean death before a rebellion can be organized.

So the question is, how will the royal family reach their homeland? How will the children react to their true heritage? And most importantly, will the family be able to reclaim their kingdom?

King's Road Creatures

For much of this first issue of King’s Road, the dialogue consists of telling both the readers and main characters the matter at hand. Though laying the groundwork is important, many times this area can feel clunky. While Hogan avoids making the plethora of information overwhelming, the way in which the story unfolds lacks originality.

The concept of a family leaving their homeland, only to be summoned when disaster strikes may seem familiar. The same is true regarding the children’s ignorance of their ancestry. To be fair, the familiarity of these situations makes sense. Why would the family return aside from necessity? Why would the children need knowledge of a land they vacated?

To readers who think King’s Road is unoriginal, give it time. This issue is showing only some of the unique aspects it possesses. The setup consumed much of the story, but now that readers know what is ahead, King’s Road will surely take many unexpected twists and turns.

In regards to visuals, there is a dramatic shift in drawing style and coloration. This is due to a change in the artist lineup for the later half of King’s Road. The project went from Phil Winslade to Staz Johnson and Douglas A. Sirois. Though the styles are completely different, the comic reads well. It may appear disjointed at first, but the story is able to recapture the audience’s attention. Ultimately, the transition is hardly noticeable. It helps that the transition occurs during a shift in location and narrative as well.

Overall, King’s Road is a strong piece. It hooks readers with its initial action sequence enough to where readers have questions and easily continue flipping pages for answers. King’s Road will be available on February 10th, so be sure to grab a copy of your own.

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