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Stan, Liz, and Izzy arrive in the Unknown World and what comes next will not be easy! Mythological creatures, demonic beings, and ghosts of the past will challenge them to a breaking point. The only way out is through, and it’ll take every trick up Stan’s sleeve to make it to King Solomon. If for some reason The Writer can’t make it that far…hey, it’s only the end of the world, right?
- Written & Created by Josh Gad and Berkowitz Bros.
- Art & Colors by Ariel Olivetti
- Letters by Frank Cvetkovic
- Published by Dark Horse Comics
The Writer Goes on a Fantastic Journey!
The Writer continues to expand this mythological world and build tension on the way to a fantastical climax! Stan Siegel and his family have made it to the Unknown World and as strange as it is, it feels familiar to little Izzy. This new world is fantastic and it travels through mysterious forests, deadly oceans, rivers of fire, and the great halls of kings!
Josh Gad and the Berkowitz Bros. take time at the beginning of this issue to look into Bets’ past and her childhood in Ethiopia. The dark force that has possessed her is using her memories against her to get to to Stan and Izzy. In only a couple of pages so much character history is fleshed out.
Where did it all begin? Issue #1 of The Writer is here!
The Trails and Tribulations of The Writer
As the story moves along we learn more of what is so special about Lizzy. The woman speaking to her seems to be something related to a past life and a surprising mythological being, Lilith, comes to her aid. The dialogue in this scene is great. So much is revealed about what dangers and obstacles lay before them if the wish to find King Solomon.
What comes next is a run of trials to test their strengths and prey on their weaknesses. The Ocean of Tears draws out their most primal thoughts. Anger, fear, and insecurities pour from their mouths, putting relationships to the test. Then, a dark and rotting forest leads them face to face with Death and the realization of it’s inevitability. Next up is The Sambatyon, a river of molten rock that is protected by the “Red Jews”. Stan’s anger and strength of character is put to the test.
All of these trials lead to the hall of King Solomon. Solomon is a man who’s “wisdom has been sharpened by cruelty.” As strong and majestic as he looks, it will take some convincing for him get involved. Lucky for them, an intruder arrives causing mayhem and transporting them all back to the Earthly realm. Solomon may be ready to help, but with a lethal injury to one of them and a force of demons surrounding them with Bets at the lead, hopes of winning this fight are fleeting!
Storytelling and References in The Writer
Josh Gad and the Berkowitz Bros. continue to utilize Jewish culture, history, and traditions to build an amazing fantasy world full of adventure and drama. Lilith, Mot, Red Jews, Vorker Rebbe…the list goes on and on, but what matters is that these characters, places, and folk tales are weaved into a wonderfully built world.
Another strong factor in this story is the comedic element. Stan, Liz, and Izzy are prone to dropping a funny quip or reference at any moment, bringing us balanced moments of levity is some heavy situations. Two separate movie references that I won’t spoil actually caused me to stop for a good laugh, one of which is from a Josh Gad movie.
The Beautiful Artwork of Ariel Olivetti
Ariel Olivetti brings his A game to each of these issues. Two things that separate his work from good to great here is character designs and colors. It has to be so much fun to have the opportunity to design his own takes on Lilith, Mot, and many of the other legendary beings and characters of Jewish lore. I for one think they all look amazing, especially Lilith who can go from beautiful and alluring to absolutely terrifying from one panel to the next. One more fun surprise is a very familiar comic book character appearance that DC fans will immediate recognize.
The colors in The Writer are just mesmerizing. Rich, vibrant colors dominate this issue that explores the Unknown World. Each of the trials happen in different areas that require different color palettes to enact certain emotions, yet this world still feels cohesive as a whole.
Everything Points to 8.5/10
This story continues to bring a sense of adventure and magic that can e found in some of my favorite childhood films. The characters interact with each other in unique and relatable ways. As fantastical as all of this is, everyone still fells grounded and down to earth. The artwork is the hot rod to the driver of the story. Olivetti creates masterpieces is almost every single panel. Feelings of awe and so much artistic inspiration pops off the page. As a whole it feels familiar and yet completely new. I’m definitely looking forward to the conclusion of this series!
