Published On: 2019-08-08 by Aftershock Comics
Artist: Milos Slavkovic
Colorist: Milos Slavkovic
Letterer: Charles Pritchett
In This Issue of Oberon Volume 1 The King of Lies
Oberon seeks out young Bonnie. He believes she has an ancient power deep inside of her. That power could help Oberon return to the throne. Titania, his queen, stole the throne from her husband banishing him to Earth. Leaning on old acquaintances and his servant, Nicholas, Oberon proceeds to determine what Bonnie is to Titania. His methods are often cruel and very questionnable.
What Else Happens in this Comic?
Long ago, the Nevermen tried to conquer all the worlds great and small. They were defeated by the combined forces of men and fairies. As Oberon opens, the Nevermen appear to have returned and are looking to steal Bonnie away from Oberon.
How's Oberon Volume 1 The King of Lies's Writing?
The Dialogue
The unique hook to Oberon is the entire story is told from his perspective. Thought balloons give us the inside details of Oberon’s thoughts and desires. His opinions of other characters color how we see the world.
Showing Versus Telling
A lot of world building happens in these five issues. Even with all that set-up, we still get a linear solidly constructed story that shows us all the action from beginning to end.
The Vibe
There’s a strong Harry Potter vibe from Bonnie. The series also reminds us of Labyrinth, the 1986 movie.
Comic Art Review
Milos Slavkovic provides pencils and colors for all the issues. After you’ve absorbed the plot and the action, start looking at all the backgrounds. This is where Slavkovic really shines. There are dozens of mythical creatures hidden in each panel throughout the series. At the Immortal Masquerade, Slavkovic opens the doors to this character design library. Magical creatures great and small are part of the Immortal Masquerade.
The character designs are extremely strong in Oberon. From the fun frog knights, to Queen Titania, to the immortals at the masquerade, there’s a purpose to all the designs.
The art changes subtlety in issue #5. Looking back there’s glimpses of the change in all the issues, but all of issue 5 appears to be drawn this way. The faces look harsher. The detailing less precise. The last page with Oberon’s face closing the series should wow, but it may be the toughest drawing in all five issues.
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- Oberon 1 Oberon Vol 1 Cover
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- Oberon Vol 1 Cover Variant
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- Oberon 2 Cover
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- Oberon 3 Cover
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- Oberon 4 Cover
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- Oberon 5 Cover
On the Cover
Oberon interior artist, Milos Slavkovic drew the covers for each of the issues.
Covers 1-4 are really well crafted. Issue 1’s cover gives us an overview of all the characters. Issue 2’s cover is all about scene setting. Issue 3 has a fun reverse shadow design. Issues 4 and 5 were a miss for me. They focus on the action. Oberon 5 in particular has some characters upside-down in a way that wasn’t visually interesting.
Marco Rudy drew the alternative cover for Oberon #1.
World Building
- San Francisco, CA
- Avalon
- Revitt
- Mother Mayie’s Home
- Endless Labyrinth
- Orphan King’s Grand Bazaar
- Immortal Masquerade
Who's In This Issue of Oberon Volume 1 The King of Lies
Bonnie Blair
Refush Golem
Bonnie's Guardians (pretending to be parents)
Nicholas
Nevermen
Gortl
Puck
Bottom the Donkey
Sir Thornberry XVI
Gritbit
The Big Question for Next Issue
Did Oberon create the Nevermen as a method to regain his kingdom or are they a legimate external threat.
Fairies don't make mistakes only poor bargins.
Who Will Like Oberon Volume 1 The King of Lies?
Fans of BBC One’s Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell are destined to like Oberon. Shakespeare and Grim Fairy Tale fans will also like Oberon. It deals with very similar characters and situations.
I Need More Content like Oberon Volume 1 The King of Lies
You can find more Milos Slavkovic art on Artstation, Facebook and DeviantArt. Be warned. Much of it is NSFW.
Ryan Parrott has worked for many major comic publishers on some of the industry’s hottest properites including Batman, Star Trek and Power Rangers. Check out Ryan Parrott’s Instagram account.
More Reviews
Should You Buy This Comic Book?
How do we get Aftershock Comics to create a second season of Oberon? The creative team built an immersive world with interesting characters. They left us with the promise of Oberon's masterplan, but without a second or third season, we'll never learn how it plays out for little Bonnie. All the issues have been published individually and as a collection. Both are worth the investment of your time and money.