Arcane Secrets #1
Written and illustrated by Angel A. Svoboda
Translated by Rafael Nieves
Lettered by Malaka Studio
Edited by Jeremy Holt
Amigo Comics
Release Date: August 28, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

I asked to review this comic with no knowledge whatsoever of the publisher, the creator, or the content. It sounded up my alley, as far as titles go anyway. Well, Arcane Secrets #1 is pretty much what I was expecting. I say pretty much because I wasn’t, in any way, aware that it was geared for adolescents. That said, I review a lot of stuff for children so I’m not put off at all. As a matter of fact, I found myself more interested. So read on and I’ll tell you more about this amazing book.

Originally released by Dibbuks, a publishing company in Spain, this mini-series of three issues has all the earmarks of being fun for the whole family. I did a bit of research and found that it was given a spotlight in the June 2013 Previews. If you’re unaware of how important this is then please note that most comic stores do their ordering or at least compile their lists based on what’s offered in their monthly Previews. Getting a call out in this magazine is sure to raise awareness and sales for that particular issue. So, this is a pretty big deal to an independent company like Amigo Comics, the distributor of this series here in the United States.

The comic itself is a fun read. I know they say never judge a book by it’s cover but this one had the characters surrounded by tentacles that made me scream Cthulhu as soon as I saw it. Drawing on the same concepts that Lovecraft once brought to the masses, we get a kid oriented comic that just makes me grin from ear to ear. I won’t get into too many details about the story but know that humor and fun permeate every page of this comic. The one-liners are hilarious and even better is the wonderful homage the book pays to horror/magical genre of yesteryear. It accomplishes this without being scary at all, instead it uses sight gags to show ill side effects of the curses, like having plants grow on the body of an affected character. With awesome characters like Doctor Ment, amazing artifacts like the Finger of Kurran and simply hilarious new arrivals like Elvis, the helpful heliogabalus, this will definitely have you laughing your socks off.

I don’t know a lot about the folks involved here but I can tell you that Angel A. Svoboda does a wonderful job of making this entertaining for everyone. And while this may have seen some assistance, from Rafael Nieves, in being translated, I don’t feel there is anything lacking in this debut issue. It’s an amazing stride forward in getting a new “funny book” to the demographic towards which all comics were once geared. Don’t get me wrong, I love my adult themed comics (not that kind of adult theme, you perv) but sometimes it’s refreshing to see something produced for the children (or at least family friendly). So pick this up, it’s definitely worth it. I have a few nephews and nieces that I think are going to love it. Yours will, too!