The phrase “here be dragons†signified danger as mapmakers in medieval times would put mythological creatures such as dragons on undiscovered areas of maps to warn explorers of the perils they might go through. However, in Simon Birks’ “The Herebey Dragons,†dragons do exist and mean danger and adventure. Or rather an adventure that is lukewarm at best with its lack of story progression or in-depth characterization.
Set in a world where magic exists, an older Bobby Coulson reflects on his childhood, precisely the day his life would forever change. Bobby, on an errands run with his mother, ends up in an antique store where his mother has a business deal with its mysterious owner. Curious and alone, Bobby explores the shop and hears an unknown voice calling out to him. He hears it’s coming from Ponnis, a dragon trapped in a prism. He steals the crystal and takes it home, unknowingly putting his mother’s and his own life in danger.
While the premise of the story is enough to keep the reader entertained, the actual story itself does little to keep their interest.
On the first page, Bobby reflects that his mother constantly lied to him and kept him in the dark as a child. Unfortunately, the reader is in the same predicament as throughout the story, only tidbits of information are told. We don’t know the connection between the Coulsons and the dragons, why Ponnis is trapped in the prism in the first place, or why Ponnis has an interest in Bobby.
The storyline is disorganized and confusing- it feels that the reader is expected to already know this.
Another problem is how one-dimensional the characters are. Bobby is meek-ish and complains throughout the comic, while his mother is cold, distant and has a mysterious vibe to her, as such, we view Bobby as a brat and we know little of his mother.
Even the artwork falls flat. One would think that a magical fantasy series’ artwork would look grandiose, colorful and would stand out; instead, it seems bland, basic and dull due to simple characters and flat colors.
For a first issue, The Herebey Dragons got off to a rocky start, due to its lack of characterization, plot development and bland artwork. However, it does have potential and since this is its first issue, it could improve later on. Nonetheless, it could be the start of a grand adventure, so it should be given a read.
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