Starchild: Mythopolis #2

By James A. Owens

This series grew on me, and it sucks they had so many issues getting the 4th issue of their Crossroads series out, because of Diamond Comics. Despite this, I at least was able to find the rest of Mythopolis! Last issue, Starchild, Anders and Sigfried get to Brigadoon, have a run in with the Brotherhood of Moores, and Max helps them out, whilst also advising where to locate Anders' pop. Also a burned homeless child seems familiar for some reason.

Max offers tea as the weather gets worse, Anders declines in preference to getting more info on his pop after reading the book with no words. Sigfried decides to hang back than go look at the book, Max asking whether Anders was God, due to what was in the book, but Anders clarifies of only having heard stories read to him by his unc. Homer. Max notes it was probably time for Anders to have a look with his own eyes, so shows him his secret, lsat library in the city. As Anders marvels at some of the titles he recognized his pop had, Max corrects him of his pop being Matthew.

The homeless child, with a lisp asks if the passerby would like a story for a ha'penny, it becoming dreamlike as Bramble states his name, and denies being Anders, the stranger running off. The hooded figure meets Learmont, A Moore sorcerer...magician, he stating of creating a character with a beard, which was agreed upon. They are sensed by Grey Men, they wanting to stop all stories. The Moore's are confronted and sentenced right then, Anders telling Max he didn't get why it was a family history of Higgins, so far.

Max lets him know he hadn't read enough, yet. On his way out, Max checks on Sigfried, who still isn't well, the doc arriving, and prescribing an enema, Sigfried scared of the duck doc. Meanwhile, Anders ponders over how Homer hadn't told him Unc. Matthew was his real pop, he not thinking Homer would withhold such info, but when his ma died, and Homer left, Matthew cared for him. Then, Matthew writes about how he and Homer's parents had also the secret of not knowing their real pop being Ezekiel.

Matthew then relates how both he and Homer were crushing hard for Manon, some magical nymph behind a locked gate in Weaver's Wood. Then, Manon lays a virgin Matthew and Homer finds them, the 2 chasing Manon to a cliff, Homer holding Matthew back, making it seem like he could've pushed her.. Next the 2 seeing on the rocks only blood, some hair, and a strip of cloth. A year after, they don't speak of it, and the 2 go to uni, til Homer suggest a return to their pop's mill for the unspoken anni. of Manon, Matthew even seeing his bro had sketched gravestones with her name engraved.

A wizened lady interrupts them after they arrive, carrying an infant, and sharing how she'd brought Manon to her home where she eventually died, but giving birth beforehand, revealing the last name of the father to be Higginson. Without thinking, Homer claims the boy and calls him Alexander, but Matthew knowing the truth. Homer eventually marries, and they leave the mill, never to return. This pisses off Anders, wanting to know where Matthew was.

Max, run into the surviving Moore, who imparts the fate of his bros before running off, leaving him regretting giving them his pencil. Bramble offers a story, and Max recognizes him, feeling sorry the boy was burned. Bramble continues to mention how the other boys were gone, one way or another, and he'd been hiding from the Grey Men, Max vowing to take care of all of it, referring to him as "son"! Boom! Yeah, the final issue has my full attention. So much drama behind the scenes, but I'll definitely be interested to read other works by Owen.