Hollow Mountain: The Long Shadow Graphic Novel - Review

Enchanted backpacks, musical numbers, ironically introspective delicacies - in the world of Hollow Mountain from writer/artist Austin James, anything goes. Dubbed "The Long Shadow," this first chapter is a charming, if familiar, adventure, one whose brilliant world-building often overshadows the characters living within it.

Set in the fantastically foliaged, critter covered land of Paeora, this first volume follows a group of adventurers brought together by chance, who in uniting hope to avoid the clutches of the ever pursuing Cloaks. If that sounds familiar, it's because it is - the first third of the book reads like an adventure checklist, ticking requisite boxes on its way to a larger vision. And given the thematic nature of the read, it's not hard to drum up similarities to other such works of fantasy fiction, with seeming nods to the Lord of the Rings and even Star Wars. That same by-the-numbers feel extends to the book's principle cast, which is made up of a collection of archetypes. There's Nicolas, the amnesiac young boy of unknown purpose; Roz, the sarcastic and capable leader harboring a painful past; and Gebs, a gorilla of a man whose brutish exterior masks a gentle heart, in addition to a fondness for fine cuisine. Even latecomer Merkle fills a narrative need, as the woodsy weirdo who knows far more than he lets on.

While the latter part of the book allows for more unique exploration, there's still a fair amount that feels recycled, and in the wrong hands said menagerie would sink a story such as this. Ultimately, it's the world in which all of this adventuring takes place that proves to be its saving grace. Paeora is a meticulously cultivated setting, one rife with layered culture and life. As the illustrated glossary shows, James' attention to detail extends to everything from the smallest insects to the very plants they rest on, each and every pod and pustule owing some sort of significance to the story at hand. Most impressively, the numerous details feel unique and organic in their usage, each focused bit of exploration lending an added sense of whimsy that only grows with each new introduction. At times, however, there's the sense that the push to build a living world limits our understanding of its actual workings. The Dei and The Cloaks make for interesting foils, but with so little to go on their hinted history is far less engaging than the various misadventures of Roz and her crew.

Of course, none of those same adventures would be nearly as inviting if not for James' fantastic art. Easily the highlight of the book, James' pages are home to a wonderful blend of realized world and expressive character, each nook and cranny crammed with eye-catching detail. Pairing simple character design against extensively detailed backdrops, James' style is youthful with an edge, his wide-eyed expression and soft features often darkened by more sinister uses of shadow and setting. He pairs that shifting tone with a similarly effective use of color, offsetting inky purples and pinks with more mottled greens and yellows. There's a real classic sense of fantasy to his design, in the best possible way, so much so that it's not hard to imagine Merkle and Gebs roaming the hallways of Jim Henson's studio.

All told, Hollow Mountain is an enjoyable tale, one that prides itself on its realized setting above all else. James has a world interesting enough to return to - there's just so much of it, with little depth at the onset to fully convince us that it matters. Giant cats, talking bugs and glorified deities make for great imagery, but without a connective base the many wondrous sights can come off as a bit random. The great character moments sprinkled throughout are proof of this series' potential, and with the bulk of the setup out of the way, we're hopeful that potential future volumes can bring it all together.