I've been a fan of Bill Willingham's since his aborted masterpiece
COVENTRY. His Vertigo series FABLES is consistently brilliant and never
less than entertaining, and he continues his streak with his new Young
Adult book, DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER. The book follows the adventures of a
young Boy Scout named Max (Nicknamed "Max The Wolf") who wakes one day
to find himself alone in the woods. Not just any woods, but woods
inhabited by talking animals. Max befriends three of these animals,
Walden the Bear, McTavish The Monster (A grizzled barn cat), and
Banderbrock the Badger, and the quartet discovers that they are being
pursued by "The Blue Cutters", a brotherhood of men and women who wield
powerful blue swords capable of inflicting cuts that can mold the
victim's body and personality into whatever the Cutter wishes them to
be. Max and company follow the course of the Mysterly River, hoping to
find sanctuary at the Castle of the Wizard Swift, encountering new
friends and enemies along the way.
Willingham's story serves as a
great adventure for young adult readers, and as a scathing indictment
of censorship for adults. He brilliantly presents the struggle of
creative people against Editors, which is especially relevant for a
Writer like Willingham, who has been at the mercy of Comic-Book Editors
and suits, who constantly tinker with character and continuity to suit
their own untalented vision. DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER is a brilliant,
heartbreaking book....I'm going to be saving my copy for my kids to read
when they get a little bit older. Highly recommended.
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