Review by Frank Plowright

In keeping with the title, this final collection of the Storyteller’s stories has a more ethereal quality, with the concept of Shapeshifters in folklore providing a surprisingly broad remit. Two of the four stories cover the best part of a lifetime.

It’s noted in-story that the family connections in ‘The Children of Lir’ are complicated, yet there’s a requirement for Andre R. Frattino to establish them in this reworking of an Irish legend. There are familiar fairy tale tropes such as the wicked relative attempting to do away with innocent children, but events then lead elsewhere. While the cast is primarily human Nori Retherford has difficulty with the art, particularly perspective, resulting in proportions changing, yet once the need for people is diminished the art has an attractive gloss. However, one large piece of misdirection is a cheap trick, meaning not for the first time in this series, the opening story is the weakest.

‘The Dancers’ concerns Apache child Rose, who from an early age loves to dance. As a child she meets a group of other girls who share her passion, but they disappear whenever her mother’s around. She’s aware that they’re reeds that dance in the wind in their natural form, but can also manifest as human. Darcie Little Badger and Alexandra Fastovets (sample art left) depart from series expectations as there’s nothing sinister about the supernatural presence in a touching and understated story

Emilia Cilento’s loose art benefits from thoughtful application of pastel colours for ‘Come and Sleep’, which starts with a young man meeting a young woman at the riverbank. For some reason, though, his family’s dog always barks at her and keeps its distance, even after they’re married. It’s a heartbreaking story, a parable about intolerance if you choose to see it that way.

Deron Bennett’s ‘Ole Heg’ originates in the folk tales of Belize, with the title character an old woman who transforms into a bloodsucking flame creature. The unsettling aspect is the fairy tale standby of a loving parent not believing their child’s explanation of the supernatural. Attractive art from Dani Pendergast (sample spread right) seals an immersive experience.

Sadly, there have been no further Storyteller collections since late 2022. Perhaps rather than mourning we should consider how remarkable it is that post-2010 a short run TV show from 1987 spawned eight themed graphic novels and one more general collection, all of them worth reading.