The Dream
"The Dream" is the fifth issue of the Gargoyles: Dark Ages comic by Dynamite Entertainment. It was released on January 24th, 2024. [1] The digital version of the comic became available on Kindle on January 3rd, 2024.
- Writer/Creator: Greg Weisman
- Pencil Artist: Drew Moss
- Color Artist: Martina Pignedoli
- Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
- Editor: Nate Cosby
- Main Cover Artist: Clayton Crain
Contents
Solicitation
The four youngest Gargoyles find themselves at the mercy of a menacing dragon, and while Mentor and Goliath ready their warriors to do battle with the great beast, the Archmage tells Angel that his magicks have sensed a problem — and an opportunity…
Writer and Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN and artist DREW MOSS continue their epic origin tale in this 40-page issue, which includes a new text story from Weisman and all cardstock covers featuring art by CLAYTON CRAIN, ALAN QUAH, MIRKA ANDOLFO, KENYA DANINO, and ERICA HENDERSON!
The Story
Review
We now learn at last the reason for the name of Wyvern Hill and Castle Wyvern – and it's a big one. "Wyvern" is the name of a dragon dwelling in the cave near Wyvern Hill that featured in both "Long Way To Morning" and "Shadows of the Past" – and a truly fearsome dragon at that, with all the classic features (wings, fiery breath, and a hoard). Furthermore, Wyvern the dragon is related to the gargoyles, even having his own version of stone sleep (though the rules for it appear to be a bit different than those of the gargoyles), and even brought the Wyvern Clan there to protect him and his. The quartet and Alesand, exploring his cave, unwittingly awaken him and let slip the existence of the humans, sending him into a just-as-classic fury. (At least they didn't steal a cup from his treasure – though they didn't need to in order to arouse his wrath.)
The adventures of these children continue to form a delight – if with darker elements even before they met Wyvern. Alesand gets to "fly" with the gargoyles for real, and is as delighted about it as in her dream. The Trio display their knack for causing trouble even before entering the cave, when they inadvertently wreck some of the machinery at the building site. On a more serious note, Antiope spots the "Megalith Dance" that will be turned against Goliath over a thousand years later, calling it a "ghost-cage". And poor Alexander displays a knack for letting spill information that he shouldn't, twice, in his meeting with Wyvern.
The rest of the cast get their own developments, while all this is going on. "Desdemona" and Angel continue their lessons (which are interrupted, for both pupils, by the dragon's awakening), complete with Angel reading a couple of fables, at least one of which may foreshadow her future development. Robbie eagerly toils on the castle alongside the gargoyles, seeing it as a way to bring gargoyles and humans together, while Prince Malcolm and Mentor comment on the work's progress in one of the issue's funniest moments. And young Nicolas seeks to join the players – whose king and queen seem themselves to suspect the dragon's approach (not surprising, given their true identities).
We end on a great cliffhanger – and a very appropriate use of the Wyvern clan's "By the Dragon" line (whose origins we may now know). The one concern I have is, with only one issue left of Dark Ages: Alliance, will that be room enough to wrap up this story? Will a single issue be able to do justice to an enraged dragon on the loose? We shall have to wait and find out.
First Appearances
Characters
- Wyvern
- Wick the Weaver (Mentioned Only)
Miscellaneous
Tidbits
Angel's reading lessons include two "real" fables (though both were first recorded after the tenth century), "The Scorpion and the Frog" and "Belling the Cat".
The "Italian story of betrayal" mentioned as performed by the players in "The Draw" is now revealed to be a pre-Shakespeare version of Othello.
Cover Gallery
Links
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