A review by saroz162
The Stuff of Legend, Book 2: The Jungle by Mike Raicht, Brian Smith, Charles Paul Wilson III

4.0

It's exactly what I wanted from a second installment: this, the second graphic novel in the series, starts to provide the needed backstory to the characters and world that authors Mike Raicht and Brian Smith have created. We are beginning to understand how the Dark works - not just the discarded and lost toys end up there, but how the Boogeyman gets them to work for him - and we learn what role Max had in causing the situation that sent our heroes to war. There are also challenges that seem to play on elements from The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Most Dangerous Game - is it possible that the Boy, being from 1944, snuck into one of the film versions? My only real criticism is that there are still some characterization conundrums that seem to need solving. Who, for instance, is Harmony to the rest of the group - the little wind-up ballerina seems the most mysterious of the toys, amplified by her robotic appearance and formal dialogue - and why did she insist on Percy accompanying them? He may be smart, but he seems like a liability to the rest of the group, even without the additional strain on his allegiance caused by the deal he made in the first graphic novel.

Regardless of one or two qualms, Raicht and Smith look set to play the long game, and the overall story remains very engaging. Charles Paul Wilson III's art is even better with a little variation in the monochromatic wash; it seems to pick up a few green tones here, which is appropriate to a jungle setting. I have every reason to expect the series to continue getting better and better; I hope I'm right.