Review- THE DARK CRYSTAL: CREATION MYTHS VOL. 1

THE DARK CRYSTAL: CREATION MYTHS VOL. 1 (Archaia, copyright 2011: Actually released in 2012; Hardcover)

Original graphic novel; also reprints the Free Comic Book Day 2011 8 page story in the back as an extra.

Writer: Bryan Holgiun and Brian Froud

Artists: Lizzy John, Alex Sheikman, and Barbara Kesel

This is the prequel to the 1982 classic, The Dark Crytsal, and is being crafted by original production artist and Jim Henson collaborator Brian Froud. I loved this movie as a child, but haven't watched it since seeing it at the theatre. This book works as a stand alone read as well as informing the origins of the events in the movie. In other words, it's perfect.

This deals with story behind how the Gelflings and the Urskeks came to know one another, the nature of their early relationship, and some of the back story of the crystal. This is the first of three graphic novels to be released, but I haven't heard anything about Volume 2 yet. I hope that it won't be too long for the other two to be released. 

The OCD zone- This is a super high quality affair. Nice, thick paper, sewn binding, and the book lays flat. OCD sense is not tingling. There is a layer of icing and a cherry on top though, because the hardback has a nice, elaborate die-cut logo, textured coating that gives it an old book feel, and the image is screen printed on the book itself. It also has a plastic band around the back cover with the ISBN and other information on it. You could remove it to make the book look more elegant, or if you're like me, you'll keep it there because your OCD has made you completely insane and you couldn't live without it. Either way, you win!

I have the cover shown above, while there is another cover shown on some websites. I do not know the hows or why to this, as I don't recall it being solicited with two different covers. The other cover could be a second printing, or perhaps a bookstore market variant. I bought mine at a comic book shop, so my cover could be a direct market variant. Who knows? Who cares! Ah, who am I kidding, we OCD sufferers care a lot about this sort of thing. Either way, you lose!