I didn’t count but I don’t think the North Pole-South Pole romance in this issue took Langridge more than seven or eight panels. Spread throughout the issue, of course. But it’s a devastating little romance. It’s sweet, heartfelt and melancholic all at once. It’s quite lovely.

This issue our heroes find themselves trapped on an island with the last surviving dodos. Everyone manages to get him or herself in a bit of trouble–except the usually troublesome little prince, actually–and Langridge keeps them moving.

It all takes place–the island stuff, so not counting the first act–in a couple days. Langridge never focuses on the time, but Snarked never feels rushed or not rushed enough. It comes from Langridge concentrating on making each moment, even if it is building to another (or none at all), as pleasing as possible.

It’s a great way to approach comic storytelling.

CREDITS

Fit the Seventh: Beautiful Soup; writer and artist, Roger Langridge; colorist, Lisa Moore; editors, Bryce Carlson and Eric Harburn; publisher, kaboom! Studios.

Langridge presents the heroes with a single challenge–a single one they know about, Langridge opens the issue with the Gryphon’s plotting–and, over the course of the issue, creates a second one for them.

He creates it subtly, but on the page, during a big action sequence. This issue introduces a pirate ship, crewed by familiar characters from Alice in Wonderland. Langridge gives them a lot of funny dialogue, making up for his regular cast being too busy in the action scene to have a proper conversation.

It’s a rather good issue; the two crews give Langridge a lot of variety to draw and a lot of personalities to write. He excels at both. He even introduces new characters later on–crews are big, after all–and they come into the issue seamlessly.

It’s one of the better all-action issues I’ve read. Langridge knows how to do it.

CREDITS

Fit the Sixth: Yo Ho Ho and a Nice Cup of Tea; writer and artist, Roger Langridge; colorist, Lisa Moore; editors, Bryce Carlson and Eric Harburn; publisher, kaboom! Studios.

Langridge sets this entire issue–with the exception of the prologue featuring the villains–aboard ship. The heroes have set sail for dreaded Snark Island, but they haven’t told the crew where they’re going yet….

There’s also the matter of sea sickness, the Cheshire Cat popping in, an angry crocodile who follows the ship and then the crew themselves. Oh, and the little prince getting eaten by said crocodile.

So, while the entire issue takes place in a day and most of it in a morning, Langridge manages to keep it quite full. He also gets in some excellent character work, particularly on the Walrus. The Walrus and Queen Scarlett–this issue doesn’t focus on her as much, rather the situation–are easily Snarked’s best characters, but for completely different reasons. Scarlett is just a fun, strong character. The Walrus is on an unknowingly redemption trip.

It’s an excellent issue.

CREDITS

Fit the Fifth: How Doth the Little Crocodile…?; writer and artist, Roger Langridge; colorist, Rachelle Rosenberg; editors, Bryce Carlson and Eric Harburn; publisher, kaboom! Studios.

This issue of Snarked takes place over a day. Langridge opens with the cast finding a place to hide and closes it with them heading towards their rendezvous.

In it, Langridge introduces a new character–who seemingly is only going to be in this issue–and spends a lot of time with carefully rhyming exposition. But it’s clearly a bridging issue. The next arc starts in the next issue and this one can’t help but read a little thin.

Maybe it’s just the plot. The cast is trapped in closed quarters, hiding from the villains. There’s very little for them to do at this point–interacting with each other, now the Walrus is clearly a good guy (if shady), is less amusing. Without outside stimuli, they suffocate.

Langridge’s art is still wonderful and the dialogue is still strong, but there’s nothing new here.

Hopefully the new arc will invigorate Langridge.

Half this issue is spent with Scarlett on a mission to burgle the castle. The other half is Walrus, McDunk and the prince trying to find the quartet suitable transport.

Things do not go well for either set of characters.

What’s particularly nice about this issue of Snarked, besides Langridge’s wonderful panels (one of his best, sadly, is one of the smallest panels in the issue), is the plotting. Langridge is clearly setting the series up for a big event, one for a collection (their mission is just taking shape), but he keeps each issue separate enough to work on its own.

There’s a particularly nice juxtaposing of Scarlett and Walrus here. They’re the only smart characters; while Scarlett is much smarter than Walrus… he is more experienced. Langridge has it come through this issue.

Snarked, at the third (or fourth, counting zero) issue, has an assured depth.

It’s great.