Chickenhare Volume 2: Fire in the Hole
Sequel to the Eisner-Nominated Chickenhare-The House of Klaus
Chickenhare Volume 2: Fire in the Hole
April 24th, 2008 - This is the sequel to the Eisner-nominated Chickenhare-The House Of Klaus, a book I'd never even heard of until I discovered this sequel on the racks at Midtown Comics this past week. I was immediately captivated by the black and white art, highly reminiscent of Jeff Smith's Bone (there's even a quote from him on the back cover). It's an anthropomorphic fantasy adventure (which also includes human characters), fast paced, and with a good bit of humor along the way. It's also got its darker elements, with horned demons and devils, witches, and sorcerers. Our hero, Chickenhare, is a cross between a (guess what) chicken and a hare and in this tale descends into the Underworld (quite easily, I must say) to recapture the wrongly enslaved soul of his best friend Abe, a turtle with a Scott Ian beard.
The art is terrific, though there was one sequence where it was unclear what the size differences were between some of the characters. In one panel they seem about the same size, then in a succesive panel one of the characters becomes the size of a small cat, whereupon in previous panels he was at least close to human size. Other than that, the drawings are quite well done, with terrific use of shadow play, much like Bone. The action and pace is quick , straightforward, and easy to follow, and this 199-page graphic novel can be read in about an hour. It's an all ages book, and children will find it a fun read, either told to them, or for kids a bit older, read on their own. Still, though, adults who like this genre of story and simply enjoy nicely rendered art will enjoy it as well. Some of the story elements at points did feel a bit rushed and the overthrow of the evil ruler of the Underworld was also much too facile, but seeing as the book seems more aimed towards a younger audience, I'm not as critical of these sequences as I might otherwise be. Comparisons seem almost inevitable because of the similarities in some character design and art style, so whereas Jeff Smith's Bone is also able to appeal to both kids and adults, it has a much more layered plot and more complex characters and storyline.
I'd love to go back and read the first volume, to get a better handle on some of these characters, but if you can't find that one, I'd still say to pick this one up if you're looking for some cool, humorous, fantasy-adventure storytelling.
For more information visit the Dark Horse Comics website.