By Sam King

Wormworld Saga Vol. 1 is exactly the kind of story I would have wanted to read as a kid. It is beautifully illustrated, the story is solid, and the main character is very likable and relatable. This is a perfect graphic novel for kids, especially those who are into fantasy but may not be quite ready for the length of Lord of the Rings or who prefer visual mediums. It is a beautiful work that I would love to read more of. It is a digital comic that has been officially online for a while now. The first chapter was published online in 2010, and now the series has been picked up for publishing by Lion Forge Comics imprint Cub House which prints comics for kids 12 and under.

Wormworld Saga Vol. 1 tells the story of a young boy named Jonas. He is a daydreamer who draws instead of paying attention in class. He doesn’t do well in school, but he’s excited to go play in the woods while staying at his grandma’s house for the summer. He found a secret door that leads from his summer bedroom to the attic, and he goes in there to play and be away from his troubles. One night he is drawing after getting in trouble, and his drawing comes off the page, and a bright light shines from the door to the attic. The living drawing goes through it, and Jonas is left curious. He goes through with a ball of yarn, hoping to follow it right back, but his grandma’s cat cuts the yarn, and he gets stuck in a fantasy land he doesn’t know. A woman finds him and thus begins a quest to find a way back home.

The idea in of itself isn’t new, which the author says in some notes at the end. Many stories involve transporting characters to new lands and making them survive there, help save kingdoms, and find a way back home. This story is very charming in how it is illustrated. The pacing is excellent, the character is adorable and relatable, and the art is just so beautiful. As I was reading it, I felt like I was watching an animated feature, not just reading a graphic novel. I heard the voices of the characters. This graphic novel volume successfully transported me, but it did not inherently feel cliché or overdone.

One of the most interesting things about how the story is told is that there is clearly an external future version of the main character. This is established from the very beginning with blue text boxes. You know that he made it back eventually, but it seems like he wants to go back and is simultaneously wondering if he did experience what the story is showing us. It will be interesting to see how much time Jonas actually spent in Wormworld and how he gets back from there. The deal with Narnia was that you went through a wardrobe and once you found what you needed there and grew up, you couldn’t return the way you used to. I’m curious to see if Jonas gets back relatively quickly without aging much in Wormworld, or if he lives a very fulfilling grand life there that he is forced to give up and return to the age of a child with school issues. Jonas is also incredibly adorable and a believable character. He wears his sweatshirt to the woods, regardless of temperature because he calls it his chain mail and he always explores with his trusty wooden blade. I loved the levels of imagination of Jonas and the story itself. There is definitely a lot of potential here, and this could be a big story for the current generation of young readers to latch onto. 

One of the things that most sets this apart for me is the artwork. It is very youthful and bright without being overly cartoony or cheap looking. This is solid quality artwork, and it is clear that the artist spent a lot of time working on it and not just turning out something quickly while sacrificing quality. Wormworld is vibrant, and each panel and page feel almost like they are stills taken from an animated production instead of being a stationary comic page. The broadness of some illustrations of the new land are beautiful. My favorite setting this point is the first wild forest that Jonas finds himself in, because of how vibrant and wild it seems. The creatures we have seen thus far have mostly been rather insect-like, with one adorable, possibly mammalian, critter. There is also a mysterious figure shown that is left unrevealed, so we shall see what role he plays in the story later on. 

In my short time with the site, I have never given a title anything above a 4, but this time I feel like this is a work that truly stands out. It hits a target market precisely, but could also extend out to others who like the genre and appreciate the art. The art is also a stand out above many titles. Wormworld Saga Vol. 1 creates a very solid promising start, and based on the sketches and discussion about the story development by the author included at the end, it will have a really good story to tell. Vol. 1 sets the bar high, so I’m hoping the series maintains the quality and doesn’t lose its charm as it goes on. I’m also a major sucker for seeing behind the scenes of how works came to be and I like fan involvement, so the last section of author bonus content and fan art was the icing on the cake.  

An issue of Wormworld is being given out as one of the Silver Comics for Free Comic Book Day on May 5th, and this first full volume will be out towards the end of this month.

Score: 5/5

Wormworld Saga Vol. 1
Cub House/Lion Forge Comics