Cinematic Point Of View

I’ve been collecting a lot of comics recently. I have stacks and stacks of books I’ve yet to read. Often, it takes me days to read an entire issue. There are exceptions though.

One of those exception is Matt Emmon’s The Council of Frogs, published by Second At Best Press. It has that “something special” quality that struck me from the first page and I finished it in one sitting.

The story revolves around a dying battlemage, who collapses in a swamp and, through magical means, creates a family of sentient frogs who live and grow around the submerged corpse of the warrior. When a group of evil men threaten to destroy their home, the battlemage sends a young frog on a quest to locate a warlock who might save them.

I mean how can you not fall in love with an idea like that? It’s a simple story that makes room for lots of rich character development and fascinating world building.

There’s magic and thrilling adventure. There are themes of life, death, love, family, and friendship. There’s an urgent quest and, of course, there are frogs. The way that the frogs are treated like children is quite touching. There is a genuine tenderness and gentleness running through this story unlike anything I’ve read in ages.

I love the muted color palette and the beautiful panel layouts filled with Matt’s earthy art. It’s cozy, dark, fantasy that feels like a comic that could have been created in the golden age.

Another aspect about that I really enjoyed is that our sentient frog hero doesn’t speak. There is a lot of silence on this journey, but every page if filled with deep feeling. It’s a real testament to Matt’s artistic ability that he conveys so much emotion without always relying on dialogue. It adds real cinematic flair and emotional maturity to the adventure.

Another big bonus to the book are the extras in the back.

There are a handful of work-in-progress character designs and some full page spreads with insightful blurbs about the production. I always love hearing from artists about their process and seeing this story, and it’s characters, come to life is a real treat.

I’ve read that there is a sequel in the works for The Council of Frogs. I haven’t seen any sort of release date, but I can hardly wait to return to this world.

This is the first comic I’ve read by Matt Emmons and it surely won’t be the last. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. Set out on your quest to find a copy today!