Changing up the Tropes of Fantasy in ‘Folklords #1’ Review

Writer: Matt Kindt / Artist: Matt Smith / Boom! Studios From the very instant you pick up Folklords #1, there is a stark contrast of a well-dressed teenager in a black suit and tie, juxtaposed in an idyllic fantasy town. His gaze is directed upward, and there is both a sense of familiarity and displacement. In other words, the hook is immediate, apparent, and oh so very tantalizing for anyone who loves riffs on the beloved fantasy genre.

Folklords opens up by crossing out the tried and true introduction of “Once Upon a Time…” in an ornate font and offers a hand written “No… Just this one time.” It’s this type of playfulness of genre conventions and tropes that defines the work that Kindt is attempting to accomplish. The main character Ansel has a Blues Brother, noir-esque feel to his character with his wristwatch and radio parts. Smith quickly captures the essence of the character and his undying optimism and commitment to be his true self, even if his true self is at odds with the rest of the world. The basic premise of the narrative is that Ansel has visions of a world that looks much like our own and is determined to get there by finding the, Folklords, a mysterious cabal that even the local cabal of librarians are adamant that no one seeks, but Ansel is determined to uncover the truth of the titular characters. Kindt and Smith work brilliantly together in selling the magical nature of the world and a society of adventurers that inhabit it, while also showing why Anse…