Reviews
Review: Lost Folk: The Hidebehind
Lost Folk: The Hidebehind is the tale of nonfloating teens Brook and Peter and their floating friend Ewan. The three friends get caught in a rainstorm while camping, and Ewan, an apparent immortal trickster, spins a tale of the reason why Ewan took them camping in the first place and the monster that just might be lurking behind them.
Let me first say, this is apparently the second issue in the series, and I’ve not read issue 1, so… I feel like I’m missing some context. Why does Ewan float? Why does he seem to be quite old? Why does he hunt monsters? None of these questions are answered in issue 2, but perhaps they were in issue 1. That being said, issue two involves Ewan weaving a tale about a monster who used to haunt the exact part of Scotland that the trio decided to go camping in and his adventure trying to capture the elusive hidebehind.
A hidebehind, thank you, Wikipedia, is “a nocturnal fearsome critter from American folklore that preys upon humans that wander the woods, and was blamed for the disappearances of early loggers when they failed to return to camp.” This helps explain why Ewan is concerned that the hidebehind is so far from home.
The story strikes a sort of Taako from The Adventure Zone meets James from the Odd Ones Out. The story flows like a story my middle school son tells me as his ADHD medicine wears off for the day. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I think my son is hilarious when telling stories, you just need to be aware of what you’re getting into.
I’ll admit, the humor found in Lost Folk is not my cup of tea, but I can recognize that there is a big market for it, again, look at The Odd Ones Out. My 13-year-old son read the book, and loved every moment of it and laughed his head off, so, I don’t think 40-year-old men are the target audience. I can recognize that and admit, that for the right audience, this book hits the nail on the head.
The art is colorful and fun. There are some minor editing issues, but nothing that really distracts from the story. If you’re looking for an urban fantasy comic about friendship and folk-lore, with a good dash of farcical and hyperbolic humor, then Lost Folk: The Hidebehind is for you!
Grab a digital copy at https://gumroad.com/pjdraws#jyquN
