Creative Staff:
Story: Brian Schirmer
Art: Elena Gogou
Colors: Rebecca Nalty
Letterer: Andworld Design
What They Say:
Once a legendary adventurer, Barrow now runs a bar — and the King just declared he’s shutting it down. So, what does Barrow do? Does he tell his staff? Nope. He goes into full denial mode, sticks his head in the sand, and struggles to remember why he got out of the game to begin with.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I really enjoyed the first couple of issues of Quests Aside as it delivered exactly what I was hoping for coming from a background of 80s indie comics. Brian Schirmer delved into this territory because with ease and it has a lot of ways to have fun. The first issue was pretty busy with all it had to do with introducing the cast and lay of the land but it came together well enough and now we get to see how he builds on it. Elena Gogou has some fun with it here as we get a lighter touch to the character designs in that they’re not hyper-realistic or overly-detailed but deliver some great designs that are expressive and fun to watch interact with each other. And it’ll always be fun watching a Skeleton wear clothes and do things.
With this issue, we get a lot going on and that really is the main problem still. Schirmer has a lot he wants to accomplish here and a decent-sized cast to play with, but there isn’t any breathing room and some of the flow doesn’t quite work. We get the moment where Zuzanna makes it clear to Ray that it’s time for them to break up which of course sends him into a bit of a moment, but we also get mixed in a flashback sequence to see how they first met when she arrived there and just how much he made her laugh. It’s a good thing but the lighter coloring for the flashback and lack of a clearer definition of it just made it confusing at first as it felt like it was taking place in the here and now until you recognize the color shift. The dynamic between the two is interesting and I do like the flashback as it shows off more of the tavern itself and how it operates as Barrow gives her a bit of a show.
Ray’s desire to quit has been a regular gag here and I do like how that has often been handled so far. We get a sequence here with some nobleman-wizard type comes in with his horde of undead behind him but the spells keep him out. That sends Ray into a different kind of anger about discrimination but it does allow for some dialogue from Jadon about how Ray was his first reanimation and it didn’t go to plan, making him unique. That storyline unfolding alongside Barrow taking in Tavin as a potential fighter that he can hone and train is pretty nicely done – especially the two-page spread layout covering the five days of training, but we see just how little Barrow did in terms of actively talking to him about what it means to be in that position. When the tavern is attacked and they fend them off as a group, Tavin’s ready to kill and can’t understand why Barrow doesn’t go the distance when it’s needed. It’s an easy setup but like other aspects, it feels rushed with so much going on here.
In Summary:
Like the first two issues, there is a lot going on here and I do wish it would just take the time to slow down and breathe a little more. Let us enjoy the characters, understand their situations, and see their connections without bouncing to the next thing so quickly. Other than the two-page piece where we see Tavin’s training, everything else feels like it’s happening in the space of a single day or even evening as it plays out. I really like this cast and want to see more of it, especially with Gogou’s artwork as it has a real charm with all of the cast. I’m definitely curious to see where it goes and what quirks it unearths next.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Vault Comics
Release Date: July 13th, 2022
MSRP: $4.99