Old style adventurer Fabian Gray has been possessed by five Literary Ghosts — The Wizard, The Archer, The Detective, The Samurai and The Vampire. And now he channels these various personalities to accomplish two goals: finding Dreamstones, and his missing sister.

Here’s the official word from Image:

NOW AN ONGOING SERIES! Fabian travels to Japan to aid an old ally in the search for a mythical weapon: the legendary sword known as MASAMUNE! A special stand-alone tale featuring artist GARRY BROWN (The Massive, Mass Effect)!

I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t always been a fan of this series; in fact, I felt the five-part premier was ultimately unsatisfying, even though the premise was great. But with that chapter done, Frank Barbiere has done an excellent job of propelling this new arc forward in a way that’s both engaging and intriguing. The plot, so far, is pretty simple, but highly effective: Fabian Gray is on the hunt for pieces of the mythical Dreamstone which he hopes will serve as a compass by which he can locate his missing sister. The tone of issue #7, which features ancient maps and dusty libraries, gives the book a classic Indiana Jones feel. And it works well.

The best part of the book, however, is the art by Chris Mooneyham. Hands down, this is the best sequencing and paneling Mooneyham has produced to date; and it might even be the best layout I’ve seen in months. The rhythm of the pages is creative, daring, and fun — of special note is the completely dialogue-free burglary scene where the art is the only tool used to tell the story. I’d go as far to say that issue #7 is worth picking up just to see Mooneyham in action.

So yes, I’m digging Fabian Gray again. And maybe even loving this new arc. Go pick it up and see for yourself.

5/5