Goblins aren’t so much evil as they are mischievous. Sadly they’re too stupid to do anything right and tend to kill things by accident. They’re basically big rats for heroes to smoosh in the Fantasy realm. Last month I was blown away by how fun and entertaining Pathfinder was and decided to give the next issue a try. Is it good?
Pathfinder: Goblins! #3 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Issue number 2 was pretty sweet. Read our review with some pictures here if you missed it.
This issue contains two self contained stories, the first written by acclaimed writer Ron Marz and the second by Ray Fawkes. You don’t need to know anything that’s happened prior to this issue, and really all that’s necessary to understand is that goblins are dumb creatures. The first story opens with the goblins running for their lives…from a book.
If you couldn’t read, you’d be just as scared.
The book is called the “battle book” and gets lost when a raiding party takes out a village of goblins. One goblin just so happens to have the bravery to crack this book open and it changes him forever. The comic has some nice action and sight gags in the opening pages, but then completely switches to handwritten pages from the aforementioned book. It’s a fun way to show how the protagonist goblin can’t spell or form sentences, but also his sense of humor is on display too. Of course, the book spells doom for the goblins, and there’s a nice payoff at the end that ties into Shakespeare.
It’s like fox hunting.
The second story follows a semi-smart goblin general who’s trying to teach his soldiers how to attack from the back and flank. It’s a fun story as it showcases how goblins, similar to zombies, really only pose a threat when in numbers. Artist Alberto Jímenz Alburquerque does a great job drawing these cave goblins in dark and detailed light. The expressive faces keep things humorous though, and when some cliched fantasy heroes show up you’ll get a chuckle for sure.
That’s one way to get shorter.
The first story, drawn by three artists (Lee Moder, Jennifer Meyer and Craig Rousseau), definitely shows there were a few too many cooks in the kitchen. The art randomly switches its style and loses its detail, but it makes some sense that the artists were split up as the full page renditions of the goblin’s book have a very unique style.
Piercing goblins also serves as a way to make hors d’ oeuvres.
8.5
- Two fun and entertaining self-contained stories
- Alburquerque continues his strong work with the goblins
- Stories are a bit jarring in their transition between artists
Is It Good?
If you’re a fan of the fantasy genre with a bit of humor there isn’t any other book on the shelf like it. The goblins pose as a fantastic cipher for comedic stories, and with interesting ideas at play should give every person a chuckle. That’s right, every single one of you!
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