Farlaine and friend’s travels come to a tumultuous end.
Creative Staff
Story/Art: Pug Grumble
What They Say
Farlaine the Goblin has spent years wandering the very many Oddlands of Wug in search of a forest to call his own. He has only a handful of lands left.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
When we last left Farlaine, his sentient tree Ehrenwort, and his tink friend Drowsy they were plummeting from the sky around the Winglands while being pursued by the world’s meanest monster. The final volume picks directly up from there, mid-plummet.
The Winglands, while not perfect, would have made a perfectly acceptable home for the wandering trio. There were places for them to work and live there and the citizens seemed friendly enough. That’s why it was so disappointing watching it all come crumbling down around them.
Worse for wear, they land back in what is left of the Tinklands, where the story started, still a desolate wasteland of nothing but dead tinks and dead trees. The Orn tinks that had been pursuing Farlaine chased him clear out of their lands. When the tinks abandoned the land it became a blank slate ready for the taking. Surprisingly, they discover a familiar face in the land who clarifies how lands become themed. Many prospecting citizens have arrived to try to claim it for themselves by gathering as many of a single item as they can.
Rallying, Farlaine, and Drowsy try to gather the unmoving tinks to make sure the Tinklands regain their title. During the work, we’re finally given Drowsy’s backstory and we get an idea of how resourceful Farlaine has become. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite shake their pursuer who returns with a vengeance.
It turns out that Farlaine and Drowsy had the tools they needed to make their home with them, they just didn’t know it. It takes a bit of luck, a gift, and a lot of courage to finally stop the curious collector monster and put out his flame. Which is a great payoff after all of the peril the group dealt with during their journey. While the story doesn’t quite end back where it started for Farlaine, it does come to where we first joined him, coming full circle in a very satisfying way. That last full page spread feels very earned.
It’s interesting to go back to the beginning of the series and look at the changes in the art over time. Indie comics are very much a labor of love, and it’s great when they actually manage to stick the landing and make it all the way out in print. I look forward to the next series that the author decides to create.
In Summary
Farlaine the Goblin finally reaches the end of his journey. Sometimes you find a home and sometimes home finds you. A touching conclusion to the story of a goblin, his tree, and their robot friend. The whole series has been a light, delightful read and it’s a great all-ages story that younger readers should especially enjoy. It’s clever enough that older readers can stay engaged with its snappy dialog and clean, lively artwork.
Content Grade: A –
Art Grade: B +
Packaging Grade: N/A
Age Rating: All Ages
Released By: Studio Farlaine
Release Date: September 19, 2018
MSRP: $5.00 US
