By The Horns Dark Earth #1
Markisan Naso words
Jason Muhr art & letters
Steve Canon colors
From Scout Comics
Life feeling a bit less magical? Well, ditch those overalls for your best combat attire and peep the solicit:
Scout Comics' hit title By the Horns is back! Six months after their hellacious battle in the sky with the evil sorceress, Feng Po, Elodie and Sajen are back in Wayfarer, reluctantly settling into their new lives as... farmers?! But their days spent tilling the land in overalls proves short-lived when a mysterious blight devastates the continent of Solothus and forces them to take up a new quest.
Life is good again! By the Horns has returned, and this creative didn’t miss a beat falling back into the wonderful vibes they set in the previous arc. The times are calm. Evelyn has laid down her plasma rifle and picked up a myriad of gardening tools. Elodie wears overalls now. Sajen, well, Sajen is still the best boy. For just a moment, life in Wayfarer is good.
Those kinds of moments never last.
Repercussions from our heroes’ previous journey are tormenting the lands of Solothus. The wells are dry. The crops are dying. Monsters are relentlessly attacking innocent townsfolk, and the magic that once flowed through this world is tapped out.
Elodie, in true hero fashion, agrees to take the weight of this travesty and bear it on her shoulders. Our heroes have a new quest! They’re going to travel farther, cross oceans, and traverse new lands! They'll also be stumbling across new, and old, threats because I know Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr won’t make this an easy battle.
Though this is an introductory issue to a new arc, it doesn’t slog. Maybe it’s because I was so excited to be back in this world, but I blew through this issue like a wind sorcerer’s spell. I had to calm down, take a breather, and give it a second go. I had to appreciate Muhr’s art, which seems to just get better every time he sits at his desk.
Elodie’s got a new outfit, and she’s hot to slaughter. Evelyn is as emotive as ever. The monster fighting is even more monstrous, and the splash pages even splashier! Plus, the series has a new colorist. Steve Canon is an absolutely perfect fit and floods every panel in visual ecstasy.
Story, art, letters and pacing: nothing falters. This rockstar creative team exercised all their skills during the break between arcs, and they’re all sharp and steady, ready to get back to battle and take their audience on the wildest of adventures.
The issue is beginning to trickle into shops, so keep an eye out. Paper shortages have delayed the rollouts, but keep an eye on the shelves. You’ll be seeing it soon, and I promise you, dear readers, this isn’t a comic you want to miss.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and I’ll say it anytime you look at the cover of this comic: “By The Horns isn’t just one of the best comics at Scout; it’s one of the best comics period.”
It’s good to be back, baybees.
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I've heard so many great things about this series. Definitely one I need to check out and get caught up with. Awesome review once again!