Written by Mike Loniewski
Art by Dan Lauer
Letters by E.T. Dollman
Published by Alterna Comics
Reed Richards once said, “Less action, more adventure!” The state of modern comics would probably leave him extremely disappointed, but once in a great while you come across a series that embodies that quote; Myth just happens to be one of those comics. Myth starts out with a young boy, Sam, who lives in a broken foster home where the children are not only mentally abused, but physically as well. Sam, being the courageous, young spirit that he is has attempted to escape numerous times until he finally finds the freedom he’s been looking for in the form of his new friend, The Giant. After the newly formed dynamic duo thwarts the evil foster mother and her lackeys, it looks like Sam may just finally get the happy life he deserves…
I love the sense of adventure Mike Loniewski has layered into this book. The first issue was obviously used to establish characters’ personalities and give us a little back story, but the second issue was used to set bigger events in motion. The whole thing has a very Bridge to Terabithia feel to it. (Hopefully without the super depressing ending though!) Sam might be one of my new favorite characters to read. He has such a hopeful, courageous air about him that I really love and makes the book really easy to read and relate to for anyone that loves hero comics. Not only is Sam valiant in the book, the book itself has dedicated itself to a great cause. While I could go on and on about what that cause is, I’ll let the creator of the book tell you himself via a press release he sent me!
Myth- A Digital Comic Fighting Child Abuse
When most people read comic books, they have the chance to live vicariously through their heroes. The creators behind the digital comic book Myth are giving readers a chance to BE a hero. By purchasing issue one of the comic published by Alterna Comics, readers can impact the lives of children affected by abuse and neglect.
Series writer Mike Loniewski and artist Dan Lauer are donating all of their proceeds for issue one to Childhelp.org, the leading non-profit organization for child abuse prevention and treatment. Working alongside Childhelp, the creators hope to make meaningful donations that aid abuse victims for as long as issue one is in existence. “Myth was a story that began with my experiences working with special needs children who lived with abuse and neglect in their everyday lives.” says Loniewski. “I thought of a story where a child could escape that world and find a protector, someone to give him the strength to overcome the harm done by those around him. When it came time to release the book, we felt it could be more than just a story. It could be a way to make a difference.” ChildHelp agreed. This past July, Myth was included in their month long campaign to promote healing and therapy through art. The book will also be finding its way into print to be used in ChildHelp’s residential treatment services in order to give children an empowering narrative in their recovery. “Obviously, our goal is to make a difference.” says Loniewski. “We were honored to be included in ChildHelp’s Art Campaign. But, we feel we haven’t done what we’ve set out to do, which is to give something meaningful to the organization and the children they serve. We’re hoping to do just that with issue one of Myth.” Myth can be purchased on the digital comic’s platform, comixology.com. For $1.99, readers will be making a donation to a worthwhile cause, and getting a worthwhile comic book while they’re at it.
To donate directly to Childhelp, you can visit their website at www.childhelp.org.
That sure sounds like a worthy cause to me, and at $1.99, what do you have to lose? I know this isn’t typical of an FtN review, but I’m going to give the creators of Myth, as people…
5 out of 5 nerds
Normally I’m not a huge fan of the black and white comic. That being said I really don’t mind it in this series. Very rarely does the choice to not use color actually aid the story but that’s actually the case with Myth. It adds a very Calvin & Hobbes-like innocence to the tone of the story, even though I get the feeling some really heavy handed stuff is at stake. If I had to place the art style with anything though, it reminded me most of Essex County by Jeff Lemire.
The first issue of this series is worth picking up and checking out just based on the face that the proceeds to go charity; find it here: http://www.comixology.com/Myth-1/digital-comic/38126. Even without the worthy cause it’s a book that’s filled absolutely to the brim with heart. “Less action, more adventure,” was the quote I used to begin this review and Myth has plenty of both. I’ll be sticking around to read it for as long as it’s in publication. I give both issues, not only for their material but also for their heart and what they stand for…
5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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