Without a Pathsayer to guide him, Twig tries to figure out his destination with Splat’s help. One thing leads to another – will he ever be able to complete his assigned job? Find out in Twig #2 from Image Comics!
TWIG #2
Writer: Skottie Young
Artist: Kyle Strahm
Colorist: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
Letterer: Nate Piekos of Blambot
Editor: Joel Enos
Publisher: Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 8, 2022
Previously in Twig: Our title character, young Twig, wakes late for work at his new job. He and his slug-like companion, Splat, run off to Mount Guphin, a living mountain. After a short trek through Mount Guphin’s digestive system, he reaches a mineshaft full of machinery and several working creatures. A chest they had found has just ripened, and inside of it is a red gem. Twig’s job is to take it to the Pathsayer’s Cartogratroy to find out more. He and Splat make the long trip to the Cartogratory only to find that the Pathsayer himself is dead!
THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER STEP ALONG THE PATH
Twig #2 opens as Twig and Splat lay the Pathsayer to rest. Twig knows he has a quest related to the red gem, but only the Pathsayer could have told him what it was. He and Splat go back into the Pathsayer’s house and look at an incredibly complicated device surrounded by shelves full of vials. Twig grabs a bunch of the vials and hands them to Splat, who pours random amounts of their contents into the machine. Then Twig puts the gem into the machine, takes a seat in it, and pulls the headpiece down over his head. What could possibly go wrong?
Splat pulls the lever and Twig sees a vision of darkness and of hope, of a person with a sword and a variety of monstrous creatures. He understands he must take the gem to where the Blade Blossum blooms, and he knows where that is! Splat shouts at him to get his attention and make him take off the headpiece. Something is wrong with the machine, and he cannot turn it off. One explosion later, the gem is dark, and the machine is in pieces.
Twig feels like a failure, but fortunately for us, he remembers a story his father used to tell him. Magical items have Nektar, which is the source of their power. The gem needs to be recharged, and the Nektarmancer should be able to help them.
After a brief travel Montage, they arrive where the Nektarmancer lives and find a large number of chittering creatures that chase them. They run but are not quite fast enough. At the last minute, the Nektarmancer arrives, driving off the Chitters and apologizing for them. He immediately asks to see Twig’s item. Twig is astounded, but the Nektarmancer says his people only look for him “if they’ve potentially killed the world.” Apparently, the stakes are quite high despite the fact that everyone is pretty nonchalant.
The gem has been completely drained. That doesn’t mean it cannot be fixed, but it does mean it will take more time. Twig started this job out late and has met with nothing but complications. He does not have time. After a night’s sleep (and a nightmare), the Nektarmancer has news. This gem was supposed to have the Last Gem. When placed, the world would have reached a new era of light and harmony. To fix the gem would take more magic than Twig could possibly get.
But Twig is a hero on a quest. If there is any chance at all to fix the gem, he will do it. This pleases the Nektarmancer who gives Twig a guide to the three items he will need to bring the gem back to life.
LOSE YOURSELF IN A FASCINATING WORLD
The artwork of Twig #2 is delightful. This is an utterly fantasy world that bears only a passing resemblance to ours, and the details in it are entertaining. The machine in the Pathsayer’s house is a bizarre mix of organic and mechanical components. There are levers and cranks, flasks and pipes that make it look like complicated machinery. The towering structure is covered with moss and leafy vines. The seat looks like a large baby seat full of plants. It’s goofy, it’s crazy, but it speaks to the way nature has a large presence in this world.
The travel montage shows us yet more scenes that speak to the distinctness of the setting. I love the arrival at the Nektarmancer’s place. It features large floating rocks, many of which are inscribed with symbols that could just be signs but could be magical. Everything has a greenish glow. In contrast, the Chitters are purple. Their toothy maws are so large that they look almost headless, as though their long necks end directly in a mouth. They are creepy, but in a gentle way that should not terrify even younger readers.
BOTTOM LINE: AN UNLIKELY HERO ON AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
Twig #2 is very much taking us on a hero’s journey with Twig. I don’t necessarily like the fact that he sometimes solves problems by remembering things we could not have possibly known, but since this world is so unusual, these moments end up as a way to sneak in more world building, so it balances out. The art, though, is joyous and a whole lot of fun.
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Twig #2
Twig never suspected that being late to work on his first day would lead to this many complications.
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Writing8
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Art10
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Coloring9
By day, she’s a mild-mannered bureaucrat and Ms. Know-It-All. By night, she’s a dance teacher and RPG player (although admittedly not on the same nights). On the weekends, she may be found judging Magic, playing Guild Wars 2 (badly), or following other creative pursuits. Holy Lack of Copious Free Time, Batman! While she’s always wished she had teleportation as her superpower, she suspects that super-speed would be much more practical because then she’d have time to finish up those steampunk costumes she’s also working on.