Review by Frank Plowright

Short Sword collects Will Tempest’s fantasy stories, each imbued with the hope of protagonists searching for something better, when in fact something dark more commonly awaits.

Tempest’s stunning illustration immediately strikes the eye, delicate and decorative pencil drawings of intricately designed objects incorporated into immaculately composed pages. The thought behind the composition indicates the work that’s involved even before the pencil touches paper, but as wonderful as they are, they’re part of a delicate balance and can also move individual stories away from pure comics into illustrative indulgence. The alternative view would be of them interrupting events to set a mood.

Five strips feature, three relatively brief, with the opening and closing strips longer. From the start ‘Cruel Pollinator’ introduces themes sustaining the remainder. What seem to be two Roman warriors are on a long mission when they’re asked to aid a small village plagued by bandits from a nearby encampment. As seasoned battlers, they agree, but are then faced with the unknown. Tempest ensures we come to know them as decent sorts, while also providing mysterious illustrations, seemingly unconnected. It all ties together well as humans encounter the mystical.

Under different circumstances and with different results, hope and outcome are the pattern reprised in the following shorter stripes, more humorously in ‘Ritual’ than in ‘Baited Waters’ and ‘Porta Alchemica’. While not constructed as twist in the tail material, each has a surprise awaiting the protagonist, although in the case of ‘Porta Alchemica’ the ending’s not at all clear.

Humour is also apparent in ‘Larval State’, which begins with two men hunting in more primitive times and transforms midway through into something else, where the hope is of artistic success. It’s not every horror story accompanied by criticism of past works. Insects feature, large insects, and they speak to the artist within us all.

This is a creative and beautifully drawn collection, but unavailable via most online booksellers. You can read a couple of the stories at www.willtempest.com, from where you can also order a copy of the physical Short Sword. Even better is that Short Sword 2 follows.