Farlaine the Goblin has something special about it. After reading this all-ages comic for a second time, it hit me how unique this story is. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it could be the insanely cute duo of Farlaine and Ehrenwort or the adventurous forests that all have something very strange about them or the characters we meet along the way that remind me of bad family reunions or the mixture of all of these things. Either way, this new TPB will entertain the reader through and through. If you haven’t caught up with this comic yet, here is your chance to get books 1-3. Let’s start from the beginning. Farlaine is a shaman searching for a forest to call home. He travels from forest to forest in order to find the right fit. You would think he was just being picking with only ten forests left but once you enter this world of weirdos, you soon realize that Farlaine has his work cut out for him.
There are two things very special about this goblin though. One, he carries seeds around with him and uses the ability to grow trees in an instant as a superpower. It so awesome seeing this unfold onto the pages. He uses them as landing pads, towers, climbers, and anchors. He is the most knowledgeable goblin I have ever met about trees. Although he is a genius in his own right, Farlaine is very humble about his powers and his abilities. He is a simple guy just trying to find a home. But let’s get to my favorite character bringing me to the second special thing about Farlaine, his sidekick Ehrenwort or Eh.
This tree is Farlaine’s buddy. Yes Eh is a tree! Farlaine carries his friend on his back and takes care of this tree day and night. Eh assists in Farlaine’s superpowers by helping him get out of binds. But by far the coolest thing about this tree isn’t the shade, but how he doesn’t speak and yet you still knows exactly what this tree is saying. Farlaine instead gives him a voice and it seems that Eh is the rationale one. Eh breaks the fourth wall by giving the readers Farlaine the sensibility that we want to give him. It may sound a little dorky, but I think that is the point. Farlaine tries so hard to fit in wherever he goes, that finding his home has become more of finding an identity than anything else.
So let’s talk about these homes he has attempted. Farlaine has now gone through three lands, The Tinklands, The Saltlands, and The Racelands. Each forest offers something strange and honestly gives me the creeps for how stressful each forest is. The Tinklands are filled with Tinks. These robot creatures at first seem harmless, but once they come to life, we find out their ultimate goal is destroy everything in their path. Not too great of a home for someone trying to build a forest. The Tinklands are my favorite land though for the pure excitement that the chase between these two brings. The art in this book is highly action filled with some splashes of cute. Did I mention that there are tons of extra drawings from first pictures of Farlaine to sneak peeks? Well the back of the TPB is full of them. I love seeing the work that goes into writing an all-ages book.
Then we enter The Saltlands that is run by a pretty shady mayor. The land is made up of salt people that don’t have a clue about anything. He must help them get out of a bind, all the while finding an unlikely friend along the way.
The Racelands are tons of fun because although the people are strange once again, the events are even stranger. The whole land consists of races. To do anything, you must always be in a consist race. Seems stressful, but these competitors love it. So now Farlaine must race for the prize and then eventually race to get out.
Each land brings something entertaining to the table. Once he decides this isn't the land for him, each land allows Farlaine to show his creative side in his escape. I love it and with each forest unfolding you will become addicted to it too.
With all the adventure wrapped up into one TPB, I couldn’t see anyone not liking this book. It creates a whole new world for the reader and with each forest coming to life; the possibilities of what is coming next should excite you. Farlaine has it all with his best pal, his powers, and his positive attitude that you will fall in love with this dude. But honestly what makes Farlaine the coolest part of this comic, so I have decided, is his loyalty. Loyalty to friends, loyalty to craft, and loyalty to finding something fitting. I hope the best for this goblin and by the end of the comic; you will be sucked into finding a forest for Farlaine too.
Score: 5/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Farlaine The Goblin aka Anonymous Publisher: Studio Farlaine Price: $13.00 Release Date: 8/27/14 Website Facebook