The Sunken Tower
Tait Howard, Oni Press (MAR 10) Hardcover $17.99 (136pp), 978-1-62010-687-7
A young wizard fights his way to freedom in Tait Howard’s exciting and humorous graphic novel The Sunken Tower.
Digby, an orphaned boy and novice wizard, is struggling to survive on the streets of a fantastic medieval world when he’s grabbed and taken to The Sunken Tower, a castle that was pushed underground long ago by the rogue efforts of a power-hungry wizard. The wizard transformed into a monster and was imprisoned at the center of the castle; now, a group of Blood Cultists want to sacrifice Digby and two fellow prisoners in order to gain the monster’s favor and knowledge of magic.
Digby, Iana, and Crina escape their cells, but the only way to avoid the endless maze of corridors leading back to the surface is to head for the castle’s high tower and go up through the ground. After being pursued by the Blood Cultists, the trio face off against the monster in a final battle for freedom.
A great swords-and-sorcery story, the book compresses its necessary world building well. Its pace is brisk, but focuses on both the action and the characters ably. The book’s visual humor is exemplified by a large, silent street scene showcase of above-ground creature-citizens and in the expressive faces of the Blood Cultists; funny dialogue, as with “Silence! The time for logic is over!”, finds the Blood Cultists contributing comic relief in addition to their villainy. Geared toward preteens but great fun for any age, The Sunken Tower is a lighthearted, satisfying fantasy tale.