“Inkblot” #2 is a cute dive into some lore, a beast and more time spent with our furry little chaos magnet. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Cover by Emma Kubert & Rusty Gladd
Written & Illustrated by Emma Kubert and Rusty Gladd
Lettered by Rusty Gladd After vanishing from The Seeker’s library in the Living Castle, the magical cat wanders deeper into the Forestlands and finds a clan of elves. Something lurks in the haunted cave nearby, and the elves must go to investigate with the help of their new kitty companion…
“Inkblot” #2 delights with Kubert and Gladd’s blend of fantasy world-building and gentle humor. The constant refrain of “Mow” follows our little fuzzy beast through the Forestlands, populated by the elves and subjugated as all realms are by Xenthas Voidbreaker and his (mostly) conquering family members. Issue #2 indulges in a quick flashback to establish emotional tension for our elven main characters, and follows the cat and its adventures to an extremely cat-like conclusion. Long live the fluffy trickster.
This comic is, clearly, all about the cat and its adventures, but Kubert and Gladd build out a world worthy of exploration. Despite the tension of the elves’ subjugation and the creature later in the book, the team manages to insert humorous notes that keep the book engaging and not too impressed with its own concept. Arabella’s quip that their armor is made of wood works well in the moment, and does a lot to build her personality. The final moments of the book are more reminiscent of The Princess Bride or Willow than Lord of the Rings, and that kind of humor works well in this context.
Kubert’s layouts are imaginative and rely heavily on symmetry. The elves in question sleep in a charming cabin and Arabella discovering the cat is framed by a set of bunks on either side. There’s a good perspective shot later with the cat in the foreground as it climbs the monster’s tail, with the elves looking on in wonder in the top third. The page immediately preceding it leads with a panel dominated by a pair of foregrounded feet as the elves leap out of the way, however, and the eye moves immediately to that detail instead of focusing on our main character’s similar dive to safety. Kubert’s line can build in a ton of detail or go pretty simple, but there’s a roughness to Gladd’s inks here that doesn’t feel entirely intentional at times. This could be down to the digital format, but it’s notable enough in several instances to mention. The cat’s the star of the story in design as well as plot, and Kubert’s decision to amp up the cartooning by just featuring the eyes is a good one, and adds tons of character to the little creature’s wanderings. Finally, the choice of “Mow” over “Mrow” is a unique one, and hints at creators who have experience with the tough little creatures in real life.
Colors are variable, and there’s often not enough texture to make the book feel lived in or nuanced in a particular way. The palette feels unfocused and a little grim, but the cat’s round eyes pop appealingly in their feline blend of green and yellow, and there’s good work on display with the latter half of the issue. Digital coloring needs a lot of work done to help it feel less slick, and neither the tone nor Kubert’s line lend themselves to mono-color backgrounds or darker hues. The bunkroom scene features some lovely action lines on the opening door that are almost lost thanks to the matte brown of the cabin walls. It’s a hue that’s somewhat necessary to contrast the tree and the bunks themselves, but it does less to ground the background and structure and more to obscure a clever, funny detail.
Gladd’s lettering is competent, and the team’s changed up their dialogue font from the previous issue to good effect. The fat little tails on the cat’s “Mow” are cute and expressive, and the book reads well. Sound effects are splashy and clever, like the “FOOOM!” integrated into the creature’s flame jet, but some of them could use a bit of tweaking. The mother’s entry into the cabin early in the issue features a nice inset, but the sound effect should be placed in the space where the door actually hits the wall. The inset features the door opening quickly, and a “WHAM!” doesn’t usually denote an opening. The establishing shot of the elven army outside of the forest is dominated by a menacing and effective roar painted across the glowing opening. Kubert adds incredible intricate detail here, and the scene feels more like a woodcut than a comic panel – in a good way. The sound effect feels directionless, however. It’s not clear where it’s coming from, and perhaps a different angle or some sort of burst balloon would do the job here.
Overall, “Inkblot” #2 is a nice jaunt into one of the realms mentioned in the first issue, and a humorous look at what happens when a summoned cat takes down a monster in ways we might not expect. Kubert and Gladd work hard to make the world of “Inkblot” feel lived-in and considered, and it mostly works. Switching the perspective to the cat and the elves for this issue is a nice choice, and hints at further shifts that could do even more to build out an engaging and fun fantasy world down the line.
Final Verdict: 8/10 – “Inkblot” #2 is funny, cute and engaging in its world-building, style and execution.
