Starchild: Mythopolis (Book 1)

By James A. Owens

Despite this being the first issue, this is a novel of 14 parts, so the preface tells of the last issue, Anders Higgins, the Starchild and Max, an old toymaker being new additions, the latter sharing tales with the street youth, the leader Bramble snatching a special book of his relative, Matthew, and the Grey Men dealing out punishment to those trading stories, whilst Max'd escaped, the kids not being lucky, and the GM lurking around still, Starchild going to Brigadoon. This is Book 1 - Pinehead. The innkeeper, Anders Higgins is looking for his employee, Martin so he could buy taters from town, his skill set lower level due to his simplicity, Harrigan greeting and confirming taters qualified as "stuff" before he left. They then discuss the missing book and the only spot Bramble could've brought it.

Anders is on the road discussing why he'd decided to pursue going to the city instead of Fool's Hollow, with Sig. Meanwhile, the toymaker is finishing Pinehead, storytelling not having been done with the Grey Men making the rounds lately. The process of deciding whilst carving the gender of the doll, was how the process was meant to go, and the body being carved before the limbs, as well as it always coming from the same stump to keep its essence of spirit was being followed. The hands helped expression of feeling and the head housed its personality, the toymaker yearning for Pinehead to become real. Anders is woken when they reach Brigadoon, the conductor a bitty flying fella, Sig and Anders next overcome by the bustling NY closeness and fantastical magic style of the city.

They then debate their first move, either to search for Matthew's book or find Homer, an antlered blind fella. They decide to pub it, but make a bad move by mentioning storytelling, and biff it, but when they get trapped, a man who knew Bramble and the book overhears their issue, the Moores men thinking they were with the GM and they needing to get murdered since they'd killed many of their family. The fella who looky-looed helps Anders and Sig out by giving the bros a pencil, then intros himself as Max, he knowing where to locate Anders' pop. After this entertaining intro, I'll be skipping to the 3rd issue for necessity reasons, but this one was a decent continuation, though.