Unlike the previous adventures of the brave girl and her dog companion, The Tale of the Pigeon and Distant Lands to a much greater extent focus on the title character. In the introduction to the fourth volume, Marcin Podolec presents us with a retrospection on the history of the bitch before the cataclysm. In turn, the entire number five album tells about the actions of Bajka and her newly met companion – a huge moth.
Different faces of adaptation
Marcin Podolec continues to surprise with original ideas for showing the world after a global catastrophe in a version that is friendly to the youngest readers. Who, according to the author, could survive in the cartoon realities of the post-apocalyptic fairy tale? Cockroaches? Superbugs? No! Pigeons that have been practicing for years in the art of survival, adaptation to unfavorable conditions and eating garbage. As it turns out, Podolec pigeons were not only ready for the apocalypse for a long time, but also had a huge impact on the development of civilization and are extremely positive about the surrounding reality, whatever it may be. That explains a lot, in fact. The fairy tale at the end of the world is full of this type of creativity and intelligent humor.
“A fairy tale at the end of the world. 4. A tale of a pigeon ”- a fragment of a comic book board
The author also presents further threats, this time not from poisonous substances or mutant monsters, but from other inhabitants of the surrounding world. However, he is not satisfied with the cardboard “ junk “ he has created . Instead, he confronts Fairy Tale with an opponent whose behavior has been solidly motivated by events from his past and is a way to adapt to the new reality. By the way, the theme of the Shapeshifter known from previous albums returns, shedding new light on his behavior. Although the conclusion of this part of the story will have to wait until the next volume, it can already be said that Fairy Tale at the End of the World teaches young readers a valuable lesson about rashly judging other people.
Valuable morals without too much moralizing is definitely a strong point of the entire series. Marcin Podolec realizes that a good story for children should carry some educational content, and at the same time should not be boring or condescending to them. Hence, in Fairy Tale … there is a place for adventure, mystery and a bit of conflict as well as clever jokes, and all lessons were naturally woven into the action. The author leaves the conclusions about the causes, effects and assessments of attitudes and behavior to the readers, believing in their intelligence.
“A fairy tale at the end of the world. 5. Distant Lands ”- a fragment of the comic board
A fairy-tale world after the Holocaust
It’s hard to say anything new about the comic’s artwork, as the cartoonist is consistent in his artistic decisions, and the illustrations are on an even level from the very beginning to the last pages of the newest part. However, it is impossible not to praise the graphic layer of Tale at the End of the World , at least briefly . Podolec still impresses with how much he controls his style and individual boards. Everything here is well thought out, planned and consistent. Muted, rotten colors still dominate, and happier, more saturated colors appear only occasionally to emphasize some element unusual for the post-apocalyptic wasteland. The cartoon style contrasts well with the shattered world presented, and the designs of the new characters are simply wonderful. If the official gadgets fromFairy tales at the end of the world with the image of a pigeon in a necklace of bread or a moth staring hypnotically into the fire, I would undoubtedly place an order.
I am impressed with how quickly and regularly the story of Victoria and Fairy Tale grows. Barely three years have passed since the premiere of the first volume, and the series already has over three hundred pages and is still at an equally high level. Kultura Gniewu planned an ideal format for this story. The quality of the paper, hardcover, format, volume and the interval between the publication of subsequent parts make it worth investing in a Fairy Tale …
