Summary: A kindly old couple prays to the gods for a child and their prayers are answered by...a giant peach and an equally giant baby. Though kindly he shunned by the villagers until he defeats a horde of ogres.  

Plot: For fans of Stan Sakai's Usago Yojimbo (specifically V.3 #25 shaxper)Conor Nolan's fairy tale about a boy born from a peach should sound very familiar indeed as both are based on the same Japanese folk tale Momotaro. It's a fairly straightforward story and there are dozens from other cultures with similar themes and devices, which Carl Yung would say supported his collective unconscious though I think just points to the fact that ancient people probably just moved about more often than we think and they brought their stories with them. One thing that is unique to this version though is the fact that the son was giant, an interesting inversion of the Thumbelina and Tom Thumb  stories, and instead of teaching simple moral lessons like the traditional Japanese version Nolan instead focuses on the journey of finding a home and sense of self which is a great modern update. That said I'm a little disappointed that Conor never attributed this story to the original folktales he based it on, perhaps he felt that the works he was using for inspiration were so well known that it would be understood that he was just retelling them like the storyteller himself in the story, but still I think a reference would have been nice as it was from Stan Sakai's reference  that I found out about the story and I imagine that for many western readers this could be their first exposure to the story as well.

Art: The failing of attribution aside Nolan's work is impressive in that he not only tells the story but illustrates it and colors it as well. And while there is nothing flashy about his composition or lay out in his visual story telling that fits the nostalgic feel of a fairytale being told by a fire perfectly. 

Conclusion: Although straightforward and lacking some of the nuances of other versions of the story Nolan tells a heart warming tale none the less that truly feels like a fairytale.

Grade: 7/10

Summary: As Rann and Thannagar march closer to war Adam Strange and Hawkman investigate just what is causing the tensions.

Plot: Andreyko is still having a hard time managing the timeline in his narrative, after three issues I can sort of piece it together but it should be much easier. Also, while the last few issues were pretty new reader friendly in introducing Adam Strange and Hawkman this issue is a definite step back as it seems the instigator is Desparo and although I'm aware of who he is I'm not an expert and I have no idea how he been used recently which is an issue as this story seems to spin directly out of that. However, the mystery is still interesting and the relationship between Strange and Hawkman is still really fun to see.

Art: I think I said it the last two times but it remains true here as well...while there's nothing terrible about Lopresti's art there's nothing all that great about it either. He's competent at telling the story but there's nothing that really sings so it makes for a quick issue because there is nothing to linger over.

Conclusion: While the pacing and the great dialog between Strange and Hawkman make it easy to get into the story remains fairly pedestrian.

Grade:6/10