Before delving into this new BOOM! Studios miniseries, it is maybe worth recapping the background of the Storyteller. This idea started as a television series in the 1980s, and it examined a number of lesser known fairy tales. In true Jim Henson style, the storytelling was a mixture or puppet and live actors, with the storyteller and his dog being the only common characters throughout. It had high production values, including the usual amazing puppetry, but it was only produced for one season. Jim Henson holds a special place in the hearts and minds of children of the 70s and 80s. In an era which was before the advent of CGI, his vision, talent and artistry made helped make movies like Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and even The Empire Strikes Back into what they were.

This series seems interested in capturing the current popularity in fairy tales, and to be fair it does so in a novel way. It is evident that the writer/illustrator has put forth a lot of effort to make sure that this is a beautiful piece of work, even as it highlights a lesser known tale titled the Magic Swan Goose and the Lord of the Forest. The only major problem which comes up here is the association with Henson. A Henson fan picking up this book without looking first inside will likely be a little disappointed in the end product. The Henson name here is one attached to the series which BOOM! has the rights to produce. Aside from one splash page near the beginning of the issue, nothing at all has anything to do with Henson.

As a standalone this issue is a bit more literal, in the sense that nothing out of the ordinary is being done with fairy tales here. This is not Fables or Zenescope where fairy tales form the basis for modern characters but rather just a relatively straight telling of an obscure fairy tale. The end presentation is fine, and even beautiful in places, but with the more traditional aspect of fairy tales being presented here, it is likely that children would be better recipients of this story than adults, especially so that it is lighter on text as well.

Story and Art: S.M. Vidaurri
Story: 5.0 Art: 7.0 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass

BOOM! Studios/Archaia provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review