Elodie, Sajen, and Evelyn land on the continent of Yalastra and reunite with their unicorn friends Zoso and Rigby. While they hug and prepare to track down pure magic in the Modtlomb jungle, the blight continues to spread on Solothus. Haru, concerned about the possible resurrection of the Augernaut, makes a rogue decision to take the fight to Yun Ma in the Middle Fields, despite resistance from the people of Wayfarer.

I somehow missed reviewing the last issue of By The Horns: Dark Earth, and only honestly noticed this when I picked up the physical copy at my LCS a week or two after it had been released (I had a hectic month, and so didn’t make it down on release day – and usually don’t know what I’m picking up till I actually get the issues in hand), and so I ended up reading both the 5th and 6th issues in one sitting.

Which was glorious.

Writer Markisan Naso, artist Jason Muhr, and Colorist Steve Cannon haven’t missed a beat with this series. The sixth issue is a vibrantly beautiful issue that underscores the point that comics don’t need to eschew colours in order to tell a story that has darker undertones, and Cannon pulls out all the stops to help Muhr’s artwork pop all the louder across each and every page. I can’t understate just how colourful By The Horns #6 is; this is a comic that really stands out against others when you flick through the pages (whether that’s the preview pages, or the comic itself when you’re holding it in your hands at you LCS).

Naso’s story is a freight train this issue as it flows from scene to scene without leaving any room for filler; this issue sees the reuniting the original cast of characters, pulling together an antagonistic crew of folks who have very legitimate and believable reasons for wanting to stop Elodie from her quest to return magic to Solothus. There’s a lot more to the comic than this brief summary thing, and I don’t want to go too far into it because it’s worth experiencing somewhat blind, so suffice it to say that Markisan Naso’s writing has been consistently brilliant throughout the series and that he remains one of the few writers whose work I’ll buy without question.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you REALLY can’t go wrong with this series; it’s so much fun – and yet emotionally heavy at the same time. With the next issue coming out in March, the wait is going to be a long one.

Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Steve Cannon
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. Alex also purchased a physical copy of all comics referenced within the review.

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Purchase: Scout Comics – Zeus Comics – TFAW