By Jacob Cordas — Positive criticism can eventually become a double edged sword. I can promise that my deep love of Hobbes and Shaw has mostly translated to people staring confused as I ramble for forty-five minutes about how amazing they are. My unrelenting passion for Paddington 2 doesn’t translate to people seeing the movies but to them glaring as I explain that the movie has some of the best politics of any film ever made. And as I began writing another piece about how great the most recent Canto series is, the question becomes will this help convince the people it needs to. 

Because, yeah. Canto III: Lionhearted #1 is just as good as the series has always been and that means every person should be picking it up. It always feels like minor praise but the most impressive thing with this series is how consistent it is. It’s a multi year story at this point with various different artists and even spin offs - yet there has been no dip in quality. 

This series serves as a continuation of the main arc and adds new wrinkles I can’t wait to see unfurrow. Booher’s writing is sharp and concise here, easily reestablishing all the characters we’ve come to care for so much. There are threats and betrayals here as well. The narrative has continually added moral complexity to its exploration of fairy tales and hope with this being no exception. 

Zucker returns for the art in the book and while I’ve loved the changes in artists, nothing compares to Zucker drawing them. There is just so much life crammed into every panel. The tin men that make up such a huge part of the cast seem designed to resist emotionality but under Zucker’s pen they sing. Everything is so clearly expressed with such powerful empathy I can’t help but care about each moment.  

Astone’s coloring is a perfect match for Zucker. It breathes even more life into a comic already filled with it. There’s such a sense of warmth to every moment. More than anything else this captures my love of the Oz novels, where everything is colorful and alive. Even with the horrifying moments scattered about, the colors make me want to live here. 

But I suspect I have written all this before, because this series has always been like this. It becomes near impossible to add new sentiments to this comic because it has been so good at being what it is. It is a testament to a clarity of vision and focus of intent. And if you aren’t already reading this, why the hell not? 

Did any of this help convince you? Did my previous reviews help? Did my interview help? Will anything help? I really need you to stop reading this and pick up this comic. I don’t care what you normally read. I don’t care what your circumstances are. What I care about is you read this amazing series. Even if you refuse to watch Hobbes and Shaw, even if you refuse to watch Paddington 2, please just read Canto III: Lionhearted #1. 

Overall: Yep, Canto III: Lionhearted #1 is as good as this series has been from its start. At this point, there are few series in all of comics that are of as consistently high quality as Canto. 9.5/10

REVIEW: Canton III - Lionhearted #1

Canto III: Lionhearted #1
Writer: David M. Booher
Artist: Drew Zucker
Colorist: Vittoria Astone
Letterer: Andworld Design
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99
Fan-favorite CANTO continues! The tiny clockwork knight in search of a heart has found his people's freedom and has saved them from the curse of the Shrouded Man, but is he ready to face his enemy on the battlefield? After making the ultimate sacrifice, Canto bears a weapon that could defeat the Shrouded Man and free all the inhabitants of the Unnamed World. Now, he races to find a hidden settlement of his former slavers to enlist them as allies in the coming war. That is... if the Shrouded Man doesn't find them first...
More Info: Canto III - Lionhearted #1

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My name is Jacob Cordas (@jacweasel) and I am starting to think I may in fact be qualified to write this.