Review by Frank Plowright
After maintaining a publication schedule of a book roughly every eighteen months for Amulet’s first eight volumes, Kazu Kibuishi ground to a halt. Six years separated Supernova from this conclusion, and it’s problematical, which is all the more surprising for Kibuishi barely putting a foot wrong before.
The previous book ended with Emily deposing the Elf King and freeing his people, yet she’s constantly been given warnings about being headstrong and forging her own path, so will her instincts betray her in the final confrontation?
It’s not only in the real world that some time has passed since the events of Supernova. The elves have a surprising new ruler, and the danger of the shadows has become ever more prevalent. Yet if there’s any doubt that Emily has become even more powerful, Kibuishi shows the ease with which she deals with a threat to an entire planet. However, all that proves window dressing to story that’s incredibly random in places and doesn’t focus where the audience would want. Even for a series where characters constantly return, Galiban’s new role comes from nowhere, and there’s no explanation as to how he survived what seemed certain death.
As what develops from his appearance is interesting, perhaps readers will overlook that, but there are so many other disappointments the prevailing impression is that having hit a block, Kibuishi just took the easiest path to the end. That means sidelining Navin, who’s been such an important character to date, yet unseen until two thirds of the way through an extended finale. There’s nevertheless time for a substantial diversion to introduce a bunch of new Stonekeepers who then occupy a further long sequence. Another problem is that having built up Ikol as a manipulator from the shadows for so long, the revelation as to who they are is ordinary, if unpredictable, and makes little sense. If this is what Ikol really is, wouldn’t a lot of time have been saved by coming clean from the start?
There’s also far too much of Emily just turning up as an ultra-powerful being and just waving her hand to send out a beam of light and make everything alright. Despite this, as the ending approaches we have the revelation that Emily’s fear and doubts have been responsible for bolstering evil? If Amulet has been about anything it’s concerned Emily constantly overcoming fear and doubt to take another step forward. There are other flaws, but the point is made. Anyone who’s followed Amulet from the start and grown with the series year by year is likely to feel disappointed if they stop to think about the plotting, which has been such a strength before. Anyone who doesn’t greatly consider the plot will probably be happy with an all-action finish.
