dragonvine review

Well, the new Graphic Novel (written in part by Dean! Yes!) came in today. I should probably be focusing on the mountain of work I still need to do... but I couldn't resist! I read the whole thing, and now I want to give you my thoughts!

The cover art is GORGEOUS. I love the style here, but the shading has to be my favorite part. I love how gorgeously red Toothless looks under the light. The action and dynamic of the shot are also excellent... so, yeah, kudos to the artist (Lucas Marangon) for making such an epic cover!

The comic had a whole section of people telling stories about Stoick, and I really liked that. Gobber's may have been my favorite. It was so over the top... felt exactly like Legend of the Boneknapper. Batting away lightning bolts felt perfect XD

Astrid's story with Stoick was really touching too... gosh, it's gonna HURT not having him in the third movie. Neat how the story happens literally during the second film (ha, at that moment Astrid was having her moving conversation with Stoick, Hiccup and Toothless were probably rocketing around the sky, making the audience cheer, as Where No One Goes played gloriously in the background!)

Just as an overall note, I felt like all the characters felt in character. I can't think of anything that felt off. Hiccup didn't come across as being naggy, arrogant, or condescending (which I think does happen every so often in the series). Astrid and Eret really stole the show in this one... especially Eret! I like that he's getting development.

Wow, this was the best set of panes in the comic. What Hiccup says is perfect, but my favorite part has to be that solemn moment of him and Toothless just sitting their silently. The look on Hiccup's face is so telling... he still deeply misses his father, and he deeply reveres his memory. He doesn't lightly toss out a tale of grandeur, Stoick is too special for that. But more than Hiccup... look at Toothless. My GOSH. He's hurting. That single image literally made my chest sting. Toothless still feels the guilt. He knows Hiccup has forgiven him, he knows that no one believes it was his fault... but it doesn't take away the pain. He was the tool, the blood is at his feet, even if it was not his will. Wow... that is the kind of things I want to see. I want to see the second film leave shock waves in the lives of the characters, some waves that are good, and some that will take years to heal. It just feels right. It allows us to see into the day to day struggle of losing someone we love. Sure, in the moment Hiccup and Toothless had to lay aside the pain and face the enemy, but what happens next? Both this comic and Serpent's Hier did such a good job at hinting at that pain. It makes these two characters feel so amazingly human. Wow... yeah, so this may be my favorite part of the whole story!

I liked how they have to justify why dragons might not heed Toothless... although this justification feels way shakier than the one they are gonna use for Grimmel's dragons in the third film. Still, nice that they don't just ignore that Toothless is Alpha. 

I actually thought this bit was funny! I'm not sure whether or not I like Hiccup's jacket getup. I mean, in one way I do. I reeeaaaally like seeing characters outside of their normal outfit. It makes them feel much more real. It also shows that the animators are willing to put in the extra work to make the world feel close to ours. After all, it's not like we wear the exact same set of clothes ALL THE TIME (although I do basically wear the same long black coat all winter long...), so it's nice to see an animated character change up their outfit a little. I do believe we've already seen proof that this will happen in the third film. However, the leather jacket feels like a downgrade from his normal armor when it comes to practicality. After all, why strip your armor when you are in the middle of a fight?

Also, as basically everyone who reads the comic will notice, the artist changes between page 16 and 17. Overall, I'd say the first artist does a better, job... but at the same time there are a few shots that you can tell he basically just lifted from the films or from promotional material (you can see these moments much more clearly in The Serpent's Heir). So, kudos to the second artist for being completely original... but I did like the first guy better overall. 

Ah, just some random shots of Hiccup and Toothless being adorable. It's so fun getting new material of them. I basically consider these comics to be fully canon (since Dean wrote them... and they mostly feel in-character (I had more issues with The Serpent's Heir than I did with this one)). I did really like seeing Drago constantly referenced. Gosh, I wonder if he actually did die in the second film. After all, Grimmel is our new villain. Whatever the case may be, this new tribe was a sobering reminder of how much damage Drago did to the world around him as he convinced/coerced people into his army and into his worldview. 

Poor Toothless. Poor Hiccup! Gosh, it's only been a few months or so since he saw his dragon taken away by Drago. That seems to have inspired some detachment anxiety. That being said, look at this line, see the tears in his eyes, and then think about the third film. Hiccup may genuinely watch Toothless fly off without him. My word. This franchise is gonna kill me!

The overall plot of the story was decent. I like how they pulled a double cross on us. Unlike the last story, I didn't really expect this one. That being said... how many times is Hiccup and his gang gonna get betrayed?? Good thing they're clever enough to get out of these scrapes. I think it is a good reflection of what Hiccup's naive idealism puts him at risk of, but I'm glad he doesn't change. I'm glad he embraces the risk.

This quote is fascinating to me. In one way, it's the best part of Hiccup's heart. It's that part of him that wants to make the world better, that wants to help the hurting and the downtrodden, and the part of him that dreams of utopia. However, it's also the part of him that overcrowds his island and sets up the problems of the third film! Every ideal has a cost, every dream has a price, and Hiccup will have to learn the balance between his convictions and the hard realities he must face. It's a brilliantly mature move by Dean... and one we don't often see in "kid's" media. So, yeah, this comic was a blast, but I am really just using it as a lense to grow my HTTYD3 hype! March can't come soon enough!

Did anyone else get the comic? Did you enjoy it? Critiques/complaints? I'd love to hear them all.