The Gimoles #1

Writer: Mike Bullock
Artist: Theo Bain
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Editor: Ron Marz

It's pretty rare that my comic shop gets anything in from smaller publishers; it's even more unlikely they get anything in that doesn't have a muscle-bound hero on the cover. Whenever they do, however, I'm pretty good about snatching it up. Now I have nothing against the typical hero book, but I love picking up something that is completely refreshing and outside of the comic book norm.

The Gimoles is just such a book! The main story revolves around a group of mythical creatures that work each year to bring about the change in seasons. There are different creatures for each season and the Gimoles hold domain over spring. In our story, they've been hard at work as usual, preparing the world for a beautiful spring. Unfortunately, on Groundhog Day, a pivotal day in the changing of seasons, the Gimoles learn that Mister Groundhog has been kidnapped!

Who is behind the groundhog-napping? None other than the master of Winter himself, Ichabod Cornelius Frost. This guy has no plans of ending Winter and it's left up to two Gimoles, Limmy and Nina, to travel to Frost's palace and rescue Mister Groundhog.

There are a lot of classic storybook elements here and that's just what writer Mike Bullock was aiming for. According to a piece written by him at the end of the book, the intention was to have these creatures premiere in an actual storybook. Things didn't come to pass, so we, the lucky comic book readers, get first crack at these little guys. For us, that's a really good thing.

In The Gimoles there's a nice, refreshing (there's that word again) innocence to the tale and, like any good storybook, there's an easy concept to wrap your head around. At no point do you feel like you're in the middle of a confusing plot. Nope, you're easily immersed in a world where you find yourself genuinely and immediately interested in the characters and their well-being.

All in all, Mike Bullock is telling a story here that looks to be a fantastic and fun ride. Once you add in the amazing art by Theo Bain that compliments the story in a way that I really don't have words for, then you realize there's something special going on here. I honestly feel like I'm getting in on the ground floor of something that's about to explode.

I missed out on Bullock's Lions, Tigers, and Bears (remember my comments about my comic store?), but you better believe, after reading this, that I'm going to grab it and anything else the man and his team at Runemaster Studios puts out.

With all that said (whew), if you're looking for something different from the average comic book, then by all means check The Gimoles out!
 

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