cover image Bird Boy, Vol. 1: The Sword of Mali Mani

Bird Boy, Vol. 1: The Sword of Mali Mani

Anne Szabla. Dark Horse, $9.99 trade paper (88p) ISBN 978-1-61655-930-4

Originally published as a webcomic, this graphic novel tells a familiar story: Bali, a young boy, discovers a coveted magical artifact, and adventure ensues. In her print debut, Szabla’s meticulously designed pages help this transcend a mundane narrative. She’s a deft storyteller, as adept at putting together ripping action sequences as she is at quieter moments. The star element is the imaginative character designs: the opening showcases hunters tracking a herd of sheep-like creatures with sticks for legs and faces like masks. Later, the hunters battle a bear whose head resembles a Viking’s helmet and whose innards are rocks and twigs. Despite the book’s visual qualities, it’s discomfiting how Szabla fetishizes imagery associated with the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest in her imagined Nuru tribe. She surrounds Bali, who is blond and not a Nuru, with the trappings of indigenous cultures—not out of respect, but because it provides an attractive fantasy backdrop. (May)