A young scholar grows a mighty hero in Gogor No. 1
Gogor is a fun romp through a fantasy world.
Pure fantasy writing has one particular edge over science fiction, and that’s magic. It’s the deus ex machina of plot devices, allowing for literally anything to occur, bending wildly to suit the needs of the story. Think old Conan or Doctor Strange. The limitless possibilities that the existence of magic affords is intrinsically tied to why fantasy itself is so popular, in that the creative freedom to envision alternate realities with varying rules and truths is the expression of the collective unconscious that everyone is, in some way, connected to. Ken Garing, of Planetoid fame, steps out of that technological world and into a much more mystical one with Gogor, created, written, drawn, lettered and colored by Garing alone. Comics where one person does all the work have a specific flavor of freedom about them, and this story firmly embodies that.
Image Comics
Gogor presents us with a traditional quest
The story opens up with a dude on a giant shrew fleeing soldiers on giant dung beetles. The soldiers have crossbows, and the fugitive has a blowgun. He gets chased to what appears to be a cliff edge and commands his steed, Mesmer, to take the leap. Apparently, it’s a giant flying shrew, because they make it to the other side, forcing the soldiers to call in a winged squadron. We then learn the leap wasn’t made across a chasm, but from one floating island to another, with hundreds of islands making up the land of Altara, seemingly orbiting a sun in a giant circle, reminiscent of Larry Niven’s Ringworld series. Armano, the shrew-rider, has a flashback full of exposition, wherein it is revealed that his home, the School of Natural Arts of Academea, was attacked by the ant-riders, soldiers of the Domus, and he was given a scroll that needed to be brought to a certain place. Classic setup. That night, he meets Wexil, who is some kind of little robed creature, and they examine the scroll, which foretells the summoning of “Gogor.”
Image Comics
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Gogor shows us the meaning of friendship
The next morning Armano and Wexil head to Dolni’s place, a friend of Wexil’s who may have information about the mysterious “Gogor”. Dolni makes pottery, and lets Armano pick any container for free, to replace the one he lost in his leap. Other friends there speak about the legend of Gogor, saying he only comes in times of dire need, and Armano tells them that times are dire, citing the attack on his school by the soldiers of the Domus. They collectively help Armano gear up to fight evil, and he and Wexil head out to where the scroll needs to be brought to. Once there, they repeat the incantation on the scroll many times, to no avail, only to discover a seed hidden inside the scroll container. Armano plants it, only to be captured by Domus soldiers riding giant wasps immediately after. He recites the words one more time, and Gogor rises from the soil.
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Gogor is some kind of Hulk/Swamp Thing analog, with mushrooms, lizards, and vines dangling off of the creature, who is all brown and green earth-tones. Shaggy hair obscures its eyes, but we can see it has big warthog-like lower tusks. Gogor’s arrival knocks Armano and Wexil free from the Domus soldiers, and it looks like our titular hero will be laying the smack down in the next issue. Inventive, colorful, and refreshingly upbeat in a time when it’s needed, Gogor is a wonderful presentation from the folks at Image Comics, particularly Ken Garing. 8.7/10; recommended. Let us know what you thought in the comments section below.