What I really enjoy about this site is to be able to read and discover comics I might not otherwise get a chance to. This is a perfect example of that. Past the Last Mountain #2 continues what is one of my favorite discoveries of the year continuing a series that entertains and makes you think.

Written by Paul Allor, Past the Last Mountain #2 continues the story of three escaped fantasy creatures. They’re on the run looking for a mythical land for them to call home. Years ago, a war was fought between the humans and fantasy creatures with the creatures losing and being rounded up to live on reservations. There’s so much to read into the series, you can debate what it’s an allegory to or just sit back and enjoy the adventure.

Allor sticks to tried and true concepts for the series and it’s what makes it work so well. It feels like a Disney film out of the 80s and that’s a good thing. There’s the jaded adults trying to protect the innocent child on the run. In pursuit there’s the evil military but of course there’s one individual who has some doubts about what they’re doing. It’s a formula we’ve seen many times before but it works and works really well.

Louie Joyce is on the art for the main story with layouts by Gannon Beck. The art style is interesting as it has a bit more of a comical look to it. It’s not a heavy fantasy feel at all but it works really well. Where the comic really stands out is the emotions of the trio of monsters. You can feel their sadness and fear as they debate what they should do or think about what they should have done. The look on the dragon’s face when it asks if it did the right thing is heartbreaking. But, it’s also a small detail that adds a solid emotional punch to it all. You gain sympathy for the characters and want them to reach their goal safely.

The comic also features a bunch of short stories from the war, all adding to the history and the world. Written by Allor, they feature art by Sjan Weijers, Caspar Wijngaard, Joe Lalich, Triona Farrell, Juan Romera, Eoin Marron, and Rebecca Nalty. Every entry, like the first issue, is solid. They all add to the world and the story giving us a better idea of what’s going on and how we got to the moment. It’s such a great addition to the main story and a fantastic way to build out the world even more. It’s such a fantastic idea and not only feels like an added “bonus” but each story is so solid on its own. It makes me want another series where we can get even more of this and maybe some longer “short stories”. It shows there’s a lot that can be done with this world and there’s such potential.

Past the Last Mountain #2 continues a series that’s probably not on many people’s radars. And they’d be missing out. It’s a hell of a series so far that feels like a classic journey but with a bit more to say.

Story: Paul Allor
Art: Louie Joyce, Sjan Weijers, Caspar Wijngaard, Joe Lalich, Triona Farrell, Juan Romera, Eoin Marron, Rebecca Nalty
Layouts: Gannon Beck Color: Louie Joyce Letterer: Paul Allor
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

CEX Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle