Simon Spurrier

Ryan Ferrier

The untold origin of the Goblin King from Jim Henson’s cult-classic film, Labyrinth. As the clock ticks ever closer to the thirteenth hour, Maria struggles through the canals of the Labyrinth alongside her peculiar band of companions, wishing desperately to be reunited with her son. While she may be no closer to the Owl King’s castle, Maria begins to uncover the secrets of the Labyrinth and her own power within the walls of this magical domain. But from deep in the shadows, the Owl King watches her every move, plotting and waiting to bring her demise by any means necessary. Written by Simon Spurrier (Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal) and Ryan Ferrier (Kong on the Planet of the Apes) and illustrated by Daniel Bayliss (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Dragons) and Irene Flores (Heavy Vinyl), Labyrinth: Coronation Volume Two continues the bestselling prequel to one of Jim Henson’s most iconic creations.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation |

Jim Henson

The untold origin of the Goblin King from Jim Henson’s cult-classic film, Labyrinth. Long before Sarah ventured to save her baby brother from the clutches of the Goblin King, another young woman sought to save her child from an unknown fate within the Labyrinth. Set in 18th-century Venice, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation is a striking look into the mysteries of the Labyrinth itself, uncovering the fate of a small boy named Jareth who would one day be King. Simon Spurrier (The Spire, Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal) and Daniel Bayliss (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Dragons, Big Trouble in Little China/Escape from New York) present a look into a magical world where nothing is as it seems and introduce Maria, a heroine instilled with courage, hope, and determination.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation

Grace O'Callaghan

I’m not quite sure what my opinion of this is. On the one hand it’s nice to get some backstory on Jareth, but on the other I didn’t particularly care for some of the characters.

• Firstly the art style is really good. It’s very detailed and truly brought to life the world that is Labyrinth. 

• The characters weren’t particularly interesting, just not as loveable and funny as the original cast. It’s Jareth’s mother, a nice goblin and a rose bush. Yeah, a rose bush. I did enjoy that Jareth is recounting the story as he can be unreliable.

• I found the plot to be a little unoriginal. It’s doing the same things that happened in the movie. I can sort of see why, but it would’ve been nice to see something a little more unique. The ending of the volume was good though.

Overall, very conflicting emotions. If you’re a die hard Labyrinth fan I’d suggest picking this up to learn more about Jareth. But if you’re only a casual fan, I don’t think it would interest you. I will be picking up the next volume just to see. I find that graphic novel/comic series need a little time to get going. If I don’t enjoy the next one I probably won’t be continuing.

a.k.b.

Labyrinth: Coronation is a comic book series that should be a staple in any Labyrinth fan’s library. This 12-issue series captures the magic of the film while still creating its own unique story and characters. Volume One consists of the first four issues, and introduces us to a plot that parallels the film, but also begins the reader’s curiosity and intrigue to learn more.

All-in-all, this is not a particularly complex graphic novel - the story is simple and easy to follow, and the characters are easy to understand for the most part. What makes the story interesting, however, is the Goblin King himself, Jareth. The events of issues 1-4 are told by Jareth for the most part, and its stated right from the beginning by Jareth that “there is no such thing as reliable,” making the story more interesting because we see the parallels of Jareth’s narration alongside what may or may not be the truth of the events.

One of the strengths of Coronation Volume One is the depiction of the goblins as well as the labyrinth itself, because these interpretations aren’t carbon copies of what we all say on screen in the film - the goblins are made more menacing, the labyrinth more unique, and the king prior to Jareth (who I won’t go into detail on) more threatening than Jareth ever was. By making some of the tones darker, this series sets itself apart from the film, but the entire time it still holds onto the essence of the labyrinth that we all know and love.

Having only read issues 1-4 that are featured in this volume, I can say that Coronation isn’t necessarily a stand out story - it's fun to read in the moment, but I don’t feel as if the story will stick with readers long after that. Long-time Labyrinth fans will surely be satisfied with this addition story in the lore, and any reader will definitely enjoy the series for what it is, but it simply isn’t a graphic novel that leaves much of an impression.

Cat Josephson

THE UNTOLD ORIGIN OF THE GOBLIN KING Time is running out. War rages at the Owl King’s castle as the goblin rebellion spins out of control. While Skubbin, Tangle, and Cible try to hold off the enemy hordes, Maria must face the King and the cost of protecting her boy from a life of misery. Up until the clock strikes 13, Maria holds onto the one truth she’s learned while facing the trials of the maze: in the Labyrinth, nothing is as it seems. With a story provided by Simon Spurrier (Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal) and written by Ryan Ferrier (Kong on the Planet of the Apes) and illustrated by Daniel Bayliss (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Dragons) and Irene Flores (Heavy Vinyl), Labyrinth: Coronation Volume Three brings the critically acclaimed prequel of Jim Henson’s beloved film to its stunning conclusion.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation |

Reviews