Gargoyles: Clan Building Volume 1 [Paperback]

Every fan of the television show Gargoyles will be excited to learn that the creator, Greg Weisman, has picked up the story where it left off!

The first two chapters in this collection are a retelling of the Season Three premiere, "The Journey," the first episode of the show's third season. It is a good starting point for the comic, both for fans (to refresh their memory of where the canonical story left off) and newcomers (as an introduction to the mythology). The other four chapters in this book are the riveting beginning of a brand new Gargoyles story, "Clan-Building," which brings back many familiar characters and introduces some new ones.

This collection stands well on its own, but watching the show beforehand is recommended if you want the full effect. This is essential reading not only for fans of the show but also for anyone who generally enjoys comics and children's fiction. Along with its spinoff, Gargoyles: Bad Guys, I wholeheartedly feel that it is one of the best all-ages comics currently in print.

If you would like to revisit the show or introduce yourself to it, pick up Gargoyles: The Complete First Season and Gargoyles: Season 2 Volume 1 on DVD.

Betrayed by the Network Executives they were sworn to protect Disney's Gargoyles were cast into a stone sleep, trapped for ten years in Toon Disney re-runs. But now, in the new millennium the spell is broken... and they live again! A must own for all Gargoyles fans. Gargoyles fans need to get this book, get their friends into the series, and get them to buy their own copies of the book and DVD. That's how the fans of Firefly were able to make Serenity feasible.

This is a great book and a must have for all Gargoyles fans. The one thing that prevents me from giving it a perfect score is the uneven art. The first 3 chapters were done by the same visual arts team while the last 3 are down by 3 separate teams each with their own stylistic twist on the characters. The art is by no means bad, each artistic team brings something unique to the individual chapters (issues) but as these chapters are nit into a linear story, one chapter flowing into the next, all written by series creator Greg Weisman the style change disrupts that continuity. My hope would be as the series continues a particular style will be found for issues dealing with the main story of the arc while stand alone episodes such as those in the original series (Long Way to Morning, The Mirror, Deadly Force) Might be handled by guest creator teams.

However this is not a deal breaker. Many comics, even ones with only one artist develop their styles over time through experimentation and growth. So again a must own for all Gargoyles fans.

Amongst the classics of 90s animation, Gargoyles stands heads above the rest as one of the pioneers of dramatic animation. It is as if Disney almost pre-empted the explosion of anime shows on our screens, by breaking the mould with this superb example of American storytelling. A simple premise of a clan of gargoyles awakening after a 1000 years stone sleep into a modern Manhattan, quickly accelerates into a rich tapestry of magic, intrigue and drama. The prominent influence of classical writers, such as Shakespeare, can easily be seen through the characterization of the characters and various levels of storytelling. Yet despite its strengths, Gargoyles suffered a premature end; after setting up many threads in the tapestry during season 2, Gargoyles was cancelled. A mediocre 3rd season, the Goliath Chronicles (TGC), was aired; due to the original writing staff having minimal involvement this was a lackluster continuation with all previous continuity being almost forgotten - these episodes are largely seen as apocryphal by fans.

Someone should have told Disney, that good storytelling doesn't stay hidden for long. To the joy of thousands of committed fans, Slave Labor Graphics announced a long awaited continuation of the show in comic form written by original series co-creator Greg Weisman.

The first twelve issues of the comics comprise the Clan Building arc and pick up where Hunter's Moon part 3 (end of season 2) left off; Greg Weisman wisely chose to ignore the disastrous 3rd season, Goliath Chronicles (TGC). This TPB is the first of two collections, bringing together the first six issues in the arc. Volume two is estimated for release around January 2009. Within this collection are the following titles;

1. Nightwatch
2. The Journey
3. Invitation Only
4. Masque
5. Bash
6. Reunion

Synopsis
#1 Nightwatch & #2 The Journey comprise the first story arc and deal largely with the immediate aftermath of the revelation of the gargoyles existence to the world.
New York is reeling from the revelation that these nocturnal gargoyle creatures are no longer myth or urban legend, but in fact real living creatures; previously the gargoyles have long stayed hidden from local inhabitants and the media (though not without close calls - often with precarious results) but are now thrown into the limelight as New Yorkers try to make sense of their new neighbors. And from the ashes of the feud with the gargoyle Hunters grows a new threat - the Quarrymen headed by ex-hunter John Castaway.
#3 Invitation only, #4 Masque & #5 Bash make up the next story arc. It's Halloween and Manhattan is reveling in the occasion; ironically the most popular Halloween costumes are gargoyles. So whilst Manhattan plays at dressing up as our favourite defenders of the night, the real gargoyles attend to their own bash. Billionaire David Xanatos is holding a masquerade ball atop the Eyrie Building; but old enemies always have a habit of crashing the party. Trick or Treat!

#6 Reunion is a stand alone issue, which fills in between the aftermath of the events of last arc and sets up events for the next arc.
On the whole this collection picks up many threads from the original season, whilst setting up many interesting ones for future issues. So far the Clan-Building arc has been a vast improvement over the mediocre third season Goliath Chronicles. Greg Weisman has managed to masterfully capture the original tone and drama of the series. This collection sets up events brilliantly making the wait for volume 2 all the more harder.
Artwork
Though the pencils change from issue to issue, (#1-3 are done by David Hedgecock, #4 by Nir Paniry, #5 by Karine Charlebois & #6 by Gordon Purcell) each artist brings a unique take on the characters; however the change in artists can be slightly jarring to the flow of the story. On the whole the best artwork is in #5 with fan favorite Charlebois (who currently pencils spin-off series Bad Guys)
All this, plus an introduction by long-time fan, ElfQuest's own Wendy Pini!

If you remember the show, I highly recommend you pick up this comic.

For everyone who is not familiar with this show I suggest you check out Gargoyles - The Complete First Season (Special 10th Anniversary Edition) and Gargoyles - Season Two, Vol. 1.

Keep your eyes peeled for Clan Building Vol. 2 - In #7-9 The gargoyles and Macbeth join forces with King Arthur to protect the Stone of Destiny, and in #10 The Gate: forlorn Brooklyn is whisked away on a timeless journey that'll change his life forever.