Product Description: A classic adventure series from Eiser nominee William Messner-Loebs, Journey introduced the world to Joshua "Wolverine" McAlistaire and the Fort Miami settlement populated by both real-life and fictional characters. Now, IDW is re-presenting this acclaimed work in two comprehensive volumes, the first of which collects issues #1-13.
Frontier adventures, clever writing, and first-rate cartooning "Journey" is the story of Josh "Wolverine" MacAllister, a 19th century frontiersman in isolated Michigan, who considers moving further west because hated "civilization" is beginning to catch up to him. This book is the first of two reprint volumes. "Journey" was originally published in the early 80s, and has been long out of print.
A lot of "Journey's" story is concerned with going-ons at Fort Miami in Michigan, where white settlers are in conflict with American Indians (Loebs seamlessly mixes historic and fictional characters). Loebs avoids traditional "brave white man fighting savages" cliches, thankfully.
The strength of the comic, however, is Loeb's brutal, thrilling depiction of MacAllister's life in the Michigan wilderness. Whether fleeing an accidentally enraged bear (there's no question of fighting it), nearly getting killed by a tornado, or hugging a dog for warmth after falling through ice, the most vivid parts of "Journey" are the stories of how MacAllister survives.
Loebs clearly did his research, and the the historic setting -- like the 19th century woodlore -- feels assured and believable. The cartooning is terrific, with layouts that borrow from Dave Sim's "High Society," and an inking style that seems influenced by Will Eisner.
There are missteps in "Journey." Some supporting characters are tiresome, one-note jokes, and the Fort Miami plotline, while entertaining, isn't as enthralling as the wilderness adventures. Some of the fantasy elements -- including brief crossovers from now-obscure early 80s comics like Normalman and Neil the Horse -- feel out of place.
And IDW didn't do a great job producing the comic book; the art comes a bit closer to the edge of the page than it should have, and on a few pages thin lettering lines fade out. A friend I spoke to didn't like the paper choice; "Journey" is printed on a soft, off-white rag paper, rather than the bright, shiny white paper that comic fans have come to expect. Personally, I like the paper, which is similar to the paper "Journey" was printed on in the early 80s, and suits the soft brush look of Loebs' art.
Overall, a very strong 400+ pages at an astounding price. This is real adventure: No people in tights punching each other out, just an exceptionally brave protagonist trying to survive the elements, using only wits and nature lore. There's never been another comic like "Journey," and that's a shame.
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