REVIEW: Canto II: The Hollow Men #3

Canto is the type of book that makes you want to tell all of your friends and family to sit down and read it. It is a treatise about the power of storytelling and it gives its argument by creating great storytelling in and of itself.

It is an amazing story of friendship bravery and the power of never giving up in the face of adversity. This issue holds all the power of the Lord of the Rings. It talks about friendship and sacrifice in a way that we rarely get to see conveyed this well in story-telling even though we intrinsically love it every time we see it. At the same time it is original and heartfelt in a way that“s all it“s own.

Writer David Booher, artist Drew Zucker and inker Philip Sevy keep topping themselves with emotional depth and big moments. The biggest star of the creative team is Vittorio Astone who“s colors make every panel feel vital. Canto and his friends including the always cool Malorex continue on their journey to save their kind from the curse on their clocks placed by the Shrouded One.

Here Canto is drowning and even as his friends pull him from the river they discover that his battery powered clock has stopped. Veratta in a moment of great sacrifice gives him some of her own time. As they rest Canto recounts to Falco the details of the map they got on escaping from Aulaura“s town. They need to reach the Valley of the Lionhearted and the source of the Shrouded One“s powers. The Shrouded One invades Canto“s dream and warns him away from his quest.

Canto refuses to be deterred but awakens to tragedy, Veratta has passed away after her sacrifice. The issue ends with a beautiful funeral. As always this series reflects the nature of story-telling and stories throughout.
From the story at the funeral to the Shrouded One threatening that Canto“s pages will be empty, story-telling itself is at stake in this epic journey. The characters are incredibly likeable and the loss in this issue is felt deeply because of their heroism and friendship. This book is about emotions, supporting others and holding onto empathy and it“s aÂ book we all need more of in these times and at all times.Â

Writing: 4.8 of 5 stars
Art: 4.7 of 5 stars
Colors: 5 of 5 stars

Overall: 4.8 of 5 stars

Writer: David M. Booher
Art: Drew Zucker
Inks: Philip Sevy
Colors: Vittorio Astone
Publisher: IDWÂ

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.