On the night before an epic battle will be fought, Sir Owain, a knight, sends his teenage squire Aiden on a mission to deliver an important letter to a castle, far from the battlefield. But what is the real reason for Aiden's journey? And what does the letter contain?
In just 24 pages Becky Cloonan creates an enchanting world of magic and chivalry, recalling the stories of King Arthur, Prince Valiant, and George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. It's a really well told story, paced nicely with utterly beautiful art throughout. The twist ending was something I'd guessed more or less from the start but Cloonan manages to throw in a rogue element to make the story seem that much more eerie and interesting.
I would say this comic contains better art and writing than entire Event series put out by DC and Marvel - The Mire is easily a more quality read than Blackest Night and Avengers Vs. X-men combined. And I bought this on Amazon UK for 38p - a 24 page digital comic for half the price of a chocolate bar! It's less than a dollar on Amazon US and Comixology, while Marvel and DC routinely charge three or four dollars for a 20 page comic. I say, support this artist for the next-to-nothing cost of this excellent comic and pick up The Mire today. It's well worth it and is a far better read than half the crappy, overpriced New 52 and Marvel NOW! titles crowding the shelves.
Comics Rule Everything Around Me, says Cloonan on the copyright page, and it's paid off with this comic - Cloonan deservedly won the 2013 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue or One-shot for The Mire. It's a brilliant comic and shows that Cloonan can not only draw great comics but can also tell a great story too. Here's looking forward to her first full length graphic novel!
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