Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Gene Ha
Artist: Gene Ha
Colourist: Wesley Hartman
Release Date: 31 August 2016
Price: $3.99

Game of Thrones meets Elf Quest via Dr. Who, with a side helping of Hammer Horror and Alien, as sparky sisters Mae and Abbie set out to rescue their father in a fantasy world Abbie has called home for the best part of a decade.

Aided, Mae #4, by a cute little raccoon-type guy called Kvido, Mae and Abbie infiltrate the castle where dear old Dad is meant to be kept prisoner, disguised as a lab technician and a maid, where they encounter all sorts of weird, wonderful and not so wonderful creations cooked up in the castle’s laboratory.

Mae #4 is a fantasy world, remember, and the mix of genres will make your head spin. Most of the names are unpronounceable: Zemetrasi, Nehynouci, Vojvodove and the like. The plot threads and cultural references are labyrinthine and the action is fast and furious as the sister’s flimsy disguises lead to chaos on a grand scale.

If ever a comic book could be said to give the reader a glimpse into the mind of its creator, Mae #4 is it and what a glorious, diverse and magical mind it is. If this is what is going on inside his head, how Gene Ha survives in the real world is a mystery that I hope is never solved and Ha keeps producing comic books like Mae #4 which defies description or classification except to say it is superb in every sense.

Buy Mae #4 now before you regret it!

 

Reviewer: Gary Orchard
Reviews Editor: Steve Hooker