Arthur Turnkey Part 1
Aren’t there any comic companies out there who are willing to give Toby Jones a pile of money to make some comics? There should be, and they’ll be sorry when they miss out when one of the big companies snatches him up. I should mention that Alex Horab is listed in the credits too, but he’s listed second, which generally indicates that he’s the artist, but this art is clearly Toby’s. So maybe Alex was the writer? Ah well, it’s only fuddy-duddies like me who care about such things these days. This story starts off with our hero getting punched in the stomach by a bully at school. We also learn that he’s in love with a fellow seventh grade student named Holly Hoyt, and he feebly tries a few times to talk to her. While chasing her down he’s distracted and almost run down in the street, at which point he sneezes, and everything changes. He ends up in a strange world where problems are solved in a gladiatorial arena, a conflict is had, and Arthur finds himself back in his original world. But now that he knows this other place exists he clearly has to learn more about it, which is more or less what happens in the rest of the book. With more than a few surprises, obviously, but I have no interest in telling you every little thing about this book. And I do have to say, in case it wasn’t clear already, that I love everything about this book. Arthur’s indecision with Holly (followed by his failures when he does get decisive), the dozens of post-it notes around Arthur’s house that take the place of his absent parents, the fight in the arena, the eventual explanation for this strange world and sheer inventiveness of how he got there, all are either nicely done or brilliant. And a clear direction for the second issue! Support this man, dammit! $6
