Boom! Studios Review: Labyrinth: Masquerade #1

Review: Labyrinth: Masquerade #1

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Written by: Lara Elena Donnelly

Illustrated by: Pius Bak, Samantha Dodge, and French Carlomagno

Colored by: Francesco Segala and Fabiana Mascolo

Lettered by: Jim Campbell

Review By: Kendra Hale

Labyrinth: Masquerade is not the story I expected. After getting the joy of reading the Labyrinth: Coronation series, it goes without saying that I was thrilled to see more material coming from this universe. But where Coronation focused on The Goblin King himself and what his beginning story was, Masquerade offered readers a new vantage point entirely while staying within the Labyrinth universe with familiar characters and scenery. 

It Always Begins In The Ballroom

The tale introduces us to a young goblin who is in charge of the beauty parlor that houses the “guests” for the balls that the Goblin King holds. The young goblin had the best of intentions wanting to wait on the Goblin king as a valet but that was not to be his fate. As with everything that is in this world, nothing and no one is what it seems. 

One of the ball “guests” has woken from her dream like slumber. Her journey will give more depth to the world of Labyrinth. There are secrets that hide in every corner of this world and the road to redemption is more than most can handle. With the help of this young goblin and some very unexpected friends, will she be able to piece together why she is in this world…and make it out of the twisted world determined to keep her in a fog?

Positives

One of the easiest positives to this story is the artwork, it is so beautifully done. The Ballroom scene from The Labyrinth is one of the most iconic scenes from the movie. What the creators of this series have done is created depth to that scene which gives it a whole new meaning upon re-watch. It creates bittersweet moments when you realize the sadness that these scenes represent in this world of Masquerade. For that impact alone, Brava. 

Negatives

The story is simple and I don’t mean that as a huge con. But because it is simple there are many predictable moments that happen. It is an all in one go story so there is much that can be attributed to this, the fast pacing and quick actions for example. It there are negatives to this side story set in The Labyrinth, these are the only ones that I find. 

Conclusion

Labyrinth: Masquerade is a pleasant and haunting tale. It deepens fans understanding of the inner workings of the world in specific ways that will tug at your heart. It is something I recommend for fans of all ages of the series to give a try. Boom! Studios and their creative team consistently give gems. This is another that is not to be missed.