Desert Rocksby Layla LawlorReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 9 The sad thing, to me, about most fantasy comics (and books) is that after the author's gone to all the trouble to create an interesting, detailed world — a world that you'd like to step into — then the characters are too busy fighting battles or looking for the Pendant of Mysteria to look around them and see the world.Finally ... here is a comic that captures beautifully the sense of wonder that we feel upon entering a well-created fantasy world. Here is a fantasy comic for the tourist in all of us. I'm actually reluctant to call Desert Rocks "fantasy", though I suppose it technically would be, since it takes place in a pre-Industrial Revolution world that is evidently different, geographically and culturally, from our own. But beyond that, it has none of the standard fantasy trappings: no magic, fantastic beasts, quests for enchanted artifacts, swordfights, evil overlords or princes on horseback. There are some ancient ruins, but they're more of the Acropolis type than the Cursed Temple of Hagdor type. I suppose Desert Rocks could best be described as a fantasy slice-of-life. It follows the journeys of Coen, an apparently intelligent and educated young man with a mysterious, shadowy past, who now scrapes out a living by finding odd jobs, while taking the opportunity to explore the cities and countryside he passes through. He's one part itinerant laborer, one part tourist; think of a college student out on a cross-country backpacking trip, except that in Coen's case, there is something driving him and he can't go home again. Along the way, he meets two young cousins, Nizna and Mayna, who are also wandering for their own reasons. The multi-threaded story moves back and forth between the present day and the past, revealing bits and pieces of the events that have caused these three young people from different countries to leave their homes. This might sound a bit slow, and if you're looking for grandiose battles, thrilling fight scenes, or soul-shattering angst, you're looking in the wrong place. Not that nothing ever happens; there's plenty of adventure in Coen's rootless lifestyle, especially when he goes sticking his nose into the wrong places, and there's a very interesting backstory that has yet to be revealed in full. But the emphasis really isn't on spine-tingling narrow escapes, life-threatening illnesses or ancient inscriptions (though there are a few of all of these things). Desert Rocks is about the wonder of exploration and thrill of discovery; it's about learning to see the beauty of the present rather than getting bogged down in the sorrows of the past. After reading about one too many dark, brooding, introspective heroes, it's really nice to spend some time with a protagonist who'd rather see what's beyond the next bend and leave behind his tragic past, than stay in a dark room and angst about it. The art might best be described as "pleasingly rough". It's not greatly detailed or technically sophisticated, but I really like the minimalistic, gestural style and find it much better suited to the quiet, lyrical nature of the story than a more painstaking art style. If you are a curious person, if you love to go out walking in places you've never been, and if your first activity upon moving to a new city is to pick a direction and see what's over that hill — then I think you'll recognize a little of yourself in Coen, as I did. And there's nothing to lose by taking a look: Desert Rocks is free, and it updates every week (on Wednesdays) with batches of pages, usually at least two or three at a time. This comic is one of the undiscovered gems of the webcomics world. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Written: January 20, 2004
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