Review: Jim Henson - Labyrinth Coronation #1 (of 12)

It seems odd that in the age of the #metoo movement, Boom! Studios and the Jim Henson Company keep doubling down on Labyrinth. Even when the movie was initially released in the late 1980s, there was some grumbling about an immortal baby snatching Goblin King seducing a 14-year-old girl. And now as the Goblin King is portrayed in the image of the 40-year-old David Bowie, it becomes as creepy as the goblin-like Roy Moore stalking teens in an Alabama mall.

Fortunately for us, the powers at Boom have dropped this conundrum into the lap of Si Spurrier (Godshaper, Star Wars Doctor Aphra, Motherlands). Spurrier locks his story firmly in the timeline of the movie“s story and then quickly turns left leaving all the problematic moments of the movie behind (along with the musical dance routines). Instead, he tells the story of a debauched and immoral young British aristocrat, Lord Tyton travelling through Europe barely keeping ahead of the scandals and debts he seems to accrue.

Lord Tyton has a great resemblance to Jareth, the Goblin King. He“s been haunted by visions of demons since Athens and is feeling the pressure of returning home to England to face the anger of his father or staying in Venice and feeling the power of Napoleon“s quickly approaching army.

Happily Spurrier is aided in his storytelling by Daniel Bayless (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Translucid) and Dan Jackson (Letter 44, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The shadow heavy artwork and deep colors bridge the worlds of rococo Venice and the magical demon lands. The very different places smear into and overlap each other in satisfying ways.

I really enjoyed the shift in the story. It is clear from the first couple pages that Jareth is retelling his own origin story. The determination shown by Sarah is contrasted with that of his own parents. That may go far in explaining his fascination with Sarah, but in the end it doesn“t make it less creepy.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Artist: Daniel Bayless
Colorist: Dan Jackson
Letters: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Boom! Studios

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Andy Hall

Sent from the future by our Robot Ape overlords to preserve the timeline. Reading and writing about comics until the revolution comes. All hail the Orangutan Android Solar King!