Return to Labyrinth Volume 1 (v. 1) by Jake T. Forbes, Chris Lie
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Book Reviews of Return to Labyrinth Volume 1 (v. 1)
Book Review: Embrace it
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a fan of Labyrinth for a very long time so I was very excited when they created a manga sequel to the classic fantasy film. The cover art for The manga is beautiful. It's true that the internal art work isn't as good but it's still a charming story. The portrayal of Jareth is accurate to the film. From the part where Toby says 'You said you wouldn't mess with me anymore!' and Jareth quips 'I said I wouldn't HELP you anymore. There's a difference.' to the way he abruptly leaves his own kingdom. It's true that the story does read a little bit like a fan fiction. Many fan fictions have been named Return to Labyrinth over the years but considering how many fan fictions Labyrinth has spawned a real sequel was bound to feel like a fan fiction of some sort.
I love the manga just so long as Jareth doesn't turn into anything or die before the series is complete. And I've been told that Sarah plays a bigger part in the second volume so I am looking forward to that.
Things change. I find that most of the negative reviews of Return to Labyrinth are people who just don't want to see things change or evolve from what they loved growing up. I feel the spirit of Labyrinth lives on in this manga.
So long as Jareth doesn't turn into something horrible or die I'm happy with it. I enjoyed volume one of Return to Labyrinth very much and it gets better with every volume. This was probably the best Manga I've read in a long time, not just as a sequel to Labyrinth, but as a manga in general. Each volume gets a little better. Volume 1 is pretty much to give you an idea of what's going on and to introduce you to soem familiar and some not-so-familiar characters. It's a fun book and many are not giving it a chance.
One thing I find very peculiar is how so many fans are reacting badly that Sarah's stepmother is named Irene in the manga. Back in the nineties many Labyrinth fans had named Sarah's stepmother Karen. The fan-originated name had become so popular that it became widely believed that her name had been Karen either in the novelization or in an early script. It never was. The character had always been nameless until this manga was published. I don't know why so many fans were upset that a name wasn't used that had originated in fan fiction. Don't they realize what sort of copyright issues that would have caused?
I love this manga and the humour of it. It's really nice.
Book Review: Really enjoyed it
Summary: 5 Stars
There have been a lot of negative comments about this "manga" (and I use that word loosely). My husband and I just got it and read it together, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it was a fine continuation of the film's storyline. Let me explain why I gave it 5 stars.
One, I loved the artwork for both the cover and the story. It was a somewhat "girlie" style as mangas go, but there were a lot of nice, subtle details in the drawings which gave the look of the book some nice texture. It looked and felt like a comic book version of the movie with the human characters drawn in an anime style, which is what it was supposed to be. Best of all Jareth always looks very slick, and has quite a presence on every page he's on just as he did in the movie.
Two, I enjoyed the story. I was actually glad to see Sarah as a supporting character with the focus on a teenage Toby instead. For me, a focus on the continued adventures of Sarah and Jareth's flirtations with her would have been the sappy fan fiction way to go. In this story Jareth's love for Sarah is still felt, but is much more subdued and subtle. Blink and you might miss it, but it's there and, in my opinion, so much more powerful because of that.
Finally the dialogue was top notch. I laughed quite a few times, particularly at the Hana character, and enjoyed the banter between Jareth and Toby. In my mind I could hear the characters saying the lines as they would if this were a sequel to the movie.
I also have to point out that some of the things others have said about this book are outright false. It's never stated that Sarah doesn't believe in magic or fantasy anymore; only that she gave up theater because she "couldn't live in a fairy tale forever". The gang from the movie later laments that Sarah apparently forgot about them, but that just means she's lost track of old friends as time has gone on. Hey, happens to all of us. Anyways, I sense there's going to be more of Sarah in the next volumes... I mean, where do you think Jareth is heading off to in the end, hmm?
On the downside, I didn't care for Moppet (obligatory Toby love interest alert!), and the evil math teacher in the beginning was awfully cliche, but the strengths of this story far outweighed those weaknesses. Very much looking forward to the next one.
Book Review: An entertaining continuation
Summary: 5 Stars
The first of the trilogy exceeded my expectations. I've never been a fan of anime and was preparing myself for disappointment when I read that Return to Labyrinth would be manga-style. I've never read any manga, so I can't comment on the criticism left by other reviewers. I would describe issue one as graphic novel - I was expecting a regular monthly comic book size 20 page volume and was delighted to receive a book nearly 200 pages long! I was thrilled to find a more fully fleshed-out story line and found myself not hating the artwork. No, it's not great art but it's good enough that you can spot "cameos" by other Henson characters. The story is so good that I wasn't distracted by the art style.
The story begins with a 4 page recap of "Labyrinth" before segueing into Toby's story. Toby seems about 15 or 16, with Sarah now 31 and working as a teacher. We see her only briefly, before Toby stumbles into his own adventure. Sarah has never told him of the events when he was a baby, leaving him completely unprepared for Jareth's arrival and for the offer the Goblin King presents to him. Jareth appears caught up in other-worldly politics and, based on a hint from the feature film ("I think I'll call him 'Jareth'. He's got my eyes."), turns to Toby for the solution.
Issue one had me laughing out loud in several spots and left me eagerly awaiting the next issue. I think most Labyrinth fans would enjoy Return to Labyrinth.
Book Review: Very nicely done!
Summary: 5 Stars
WOW!!!
Okay, evan after 20 years, this manga feels like it was the next step after the movie. I absolutely loved this book!
We meet our hero, the young Toby, who is now not young, but a lad of 13. It shows his beginnings in the Labyrinth and his reactions to Jareth, which seems to shadow his sisters' actions toward the ever generous Goblin King.
Yes, Sarah is in the book, but only as a slight flashback. She's a teacher now, but she will eventually get a bigger part as the story moves along.
The best part? The ending! Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it, but it sure was a doozy!
I would totally recommend this book to those children of the 80s who yearn for yeaster-year. Its better to have seen the movie THE LABYRINTH, or read the book by A.C.H Smith before reading this.
Go for it, buy it. After all, what harm ever came reading from a book?
Book Review: labyrinth volume 1
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been a huge fan of this movie since I was just a kid, and imagine my surprise at finding this book about 2 weeks ago. I devoured it. I have to admit, this is very much like reading a fan fiction... there are so many lines and references to the movie, I absolutely love it! (yes I can quote this movie word for word). If you love the movie, love the characters... then I think this is a fitting tribute. :-)
... and a question.... at the party there is a character (short in a traveling outfit) talking to the main pixie character. I don't remember the character from the movie... but he did look an aweful lot like traveling Matt from fraggle Rock.