Alliance Chapter One: The Reach

Gargoyles: Dark Ages #1 is a love letter to the original animated series, taking the Wyvern Clan back to 10th century Scotland where humans and gargoyles once coexisted. Original series creator Greg Weisman sets up a politically charged story centered on an uneasy alliance between the clan and a prince seeking help to reclaim his kingdom's throne. It's a calm, deliberate opener that spends most of its time establishing tone and characters rather than going full action mode, which may disappoint some but rewards patient readers.

Drew Moss's artwork is a real highlight, capturing the look and feel of the classic cartoon while bringing his own style to some beautifully composed panels. The gargoyles themselves are rendered with great variety and detail. The one knock is that the human characters can be hard to tell apart, which makes some of the political maneuvering a little tricky to follow. Still, a solid start for any fan of the franchise.