Review - The Ride Home by Joey Weiser
June 30th, 2008 John Posted in Comic Books, Reviews |
In “The Ride Home,” Joey Weiser brings the fairy tale beings of a world long gone into the modern one with rollicking results.
Nodo, the van gnome (that is, a gnome who inhabits a family van, as one might have inhabited the forest or a bridge or something in legends) is happy in his vehicle, but one day, a trip results in a calamity that finds him homeless. As a creature defined by his place of residence, Nodo begins his trek to reclaim his van and his life.
To a tiny, little gnome, the modern world is filled with horrors that turn a simple journey into a grand odyssey. Along the way, Nodo meets numerous other mythical creatures who have settled into their modern trappings, most notably Ferdinand, a sewer dragon who grapples with sewer management issues involving rats even as he tries to help Nodo.
Weiser takes the opportunity to make a few choice commentaries not only about modern human beings and their lack of wonder at the hidden trappings of their society, but also at the notion of cultures that cling to the old. It’s heady stuff to pack into what is essentially a light-hearted adventure, but Weiser does a great job at it and comes up with something that will amuse any kid even as it offers some big food for thought.
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