The Stuff of Legend Vol. 3 – A Jester's Tale #1 Review

It has been a while since the last The Stuff of Legend mini series ended, as the band of toys parted in different ways. You know what they say though, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I was certainly looking forward to get back into the swing of things with the comic starring everyone's favourite gang of toys. As always, the kind folks of Th3rd World Studios sent us a review copy, so hit the jump to see what I thought about the latest issue.

The Stuff of Legend – A Jester's Tale #1

Written by Brian Smith & Mike Raicht

Art by Charles Paul Wilson III

Design & Colour by Jon Conkling & Michael DeVito

As you can infer from the title, the new series is going to focus mostly on Jester, a jack-in-the-box toy as he deals with the consequences of the last series, as he goes solo to deal with his own mission.

The comic start with a really cool but confusing scene where we find Jester fighting a veritable army of pirates, taking them down methodically and effortlessly. He only utters two words during the whole prolonged fight, but in the best Punisher fashion, those two words speak almost as loudly as his actions. It's an incredible action piece, beautifully choreographed by C.P. Wilson III, who has yet to miss a beat.

However, once that scene is done we go back exactly to where we left of Jester last time, as he falls for a trap and is knocked out. I have to admit that I was confused by this sudden and drastic change of scene, not completely sure how it fit into the larger tapestry when put together with the previous one. Have no fear, as all becomes clear by the end of the issue.

When he awakens, he finds that the object of his devotion, the Princess, has been kidnapped by Artic (an Indian toy we saw in the last series). With little to go on, Jester must accept the help of his prisoner, the unscrupulous The Mayor. The set up is brilliant and leads to the two of them clashing against each other, sharing their contempt and begrudging alliance throughout the length of the issue. In doing so, Smith and Raicht provide Jester a sidekick, if you will, and the series benefits from it.

Make no mistake, Jester is by far the most interesting character of the series (at least in this humble reviewer's opinion), but he shines the most when he has a partner to contrast the difference between him and the rest of the toys. While the rest of the toys we come across seem to accept their fate as playthings for their master, showing strong devotion, Jester is a case of his own, and he looks towards enjoying life doing the things he likes (such as high adventures and the company of the Princess). Being the master of his own fate, as he puts it.

We also briefly check on with some of the other toys, such as Percy, Quackers and Harmony, who have decided to leave the Dark, as their mission to rescue the boy is hopeless. It's good to know that despite Jester being the protagonist of this series, the creative has not forgotten about the rest of the cast of the book.

As The Mayor and Jester make their way to a seaside town, they attempt to get a boat to continue on their journey. Here we learn the truth behind the first scene of the book, with the pirates. It seems that there is more than one Jester set loose in The Dark. It's a case of mistaken identity, or perhaps identity theft. All I know is that once again, The Stuff of Legend left me wanting for more, teasing me with what's coming next.

Verdict – Must Read. The Stuff of Legend is one of the most consistently good series I have ever read. The new focus on Jester allows the series to continue exploring the world they have created in new ways, with different types of stories. I cannot wait for more adventures in the sea, with pirates, toys, and by the looks of it, lots of swashbuckling.

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