The more I learn about the characters in Clodagh, the more I want to know about them. In this world of magic and monsters, each of the main characters seems to have a dark and mysterious past, dealing with such things. Details of what brought any of them to this point are, heretofore, scarce, but then it’s only the second issue.

What we do know is this: Clodagh, Fillin, and Fillin’s young daughter, Aine, live in a small village, where Clodagh is mistrusted by most of the other townsfolk for being a shady outsider who’s a bad influence on the other two. Then, an evil witch descends upon the village to wreak havoc, kidnapping Aine in the process. Fillin immediately takes off after her—which was, of course, the witch’s plan all along, as Fillin is her real target.

While Fillin is facing a myriad of monsters on his quest to get his daughter back (with the help of a talking dog), Clodagh is regaining her strength after the attack, and preparing to go after Fillin. She’s tended to by the Minister—a trusted pillar of the community and the only one who doesn’t hate or mistrust Clodagh, probably because she has a mysterious past of her own. Aine, meanwhile, is a prisoner of the evil witch and may well be the smartest and most capable one of the bunch.

I feel like my description doesn’t really do justice to this comic and what it’s like. Both issues have been really engaging and well-written. I love the story, and I love the adventure. The artwork is great, too, and really helps to get the reader immersed in the fantasy world. While the story isn’t specifically stated to take place in Ireland, there’s a very definite Irish flavor throughout, most notably in the character names. Names like Clodagh and Aine (as well as Podraig and a few others) are difficult to pronounce, but beautiful to say…

There are a lot of layers to this story, and we’re peeling them back very slowly. That’s not a bad thing, though. I’m really enjoying the journey. Of course, the comic’s not for everyone. It’s rather dark and a bit violent at times; however, if you don’t mind your comics a bit on the darker side, with a healthy dose of the supernatural, you may enjoy Clodagh as much as I do. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Creative Team: Simon Birks (writer), Willi Roberts (art and colors), and Rob Jones (letters)
Publisher: Blue Fox Comics
Click here to stay tuned for the upcoming Kickstarter campaign.