Jim Henson’s The Storyteller Ghost #2
BOOM Studios
Story and Art by: Jennifer Rostowky
Letters by: Jim Campbell
The second issue of Jim Henson’s Storyteller wastes little time with the titular character and his companion. After a brief conversation we dive into a tale of the heart, jealousy, bargaining and ultimately loss. I felt this combination created a emotionally beautiful and tragic tale.
This tale is set in the backdrop of a far-away land, although it feels like the Far East. Molika’s brief introduction shows that she is not often denied. Wealth, beauty and servants were all hers and at her disposal. The only thing she could not control is the affection of her lover. Upon losing her lover’s eye Molika first turns to all the traditional methods to win her back. It is only through desperation that she stumbles upon a spell to give her that which she desires.
The magic in this series has been the ability to introduce unheard of apparitions. In this story Jennifer Rostowky gives us the Amp. Created by acts of disrespect and desperation, Molika finds herself doomed to nightly haunt and frighten others.
For some reason part of me always converts anything Henson to puppet form. Given the heavy Eastern influence of the issue, I imagined this playing out in the Bunraku style. Rostowky possibly had in mind when presenting the tale of the Amp. I imagine scenes of Molika’s floating head against a black backdrop, the sound of her beating heart. The images of the Storytellers tale are so well presented they make it easy for me to do. My only complaint is that the art stayed the same throughout the issue. I prefer to see a visual break between the Storytellers home and the story. In this issue the color palette was the same for both.
By combining tales of morality with the supernatural, Jim Henson’s Storyteller #2 continues to craft tales of things that go bump in the night. Seeing how the things that scare us came to be is an interesting way to present cautionary tales. Although it has been 30 years since his passing, the works of Jim Henson still amaze me.