[ 229 ]

[katara]

Title: Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation #5
Author: Simon Spurrier, Daniel Bayliss (Illustrator), Dan Jackson (Illustrator), Fiona Staples (Illustrator)
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.85/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: September 14, 2018
Book Summary: Maria travels deeper into the Labyrinth in search of her son Jareth, but a strange new influence has changed its shape, making it even more unpredictable…
Book Review: In this issue, it picks up where the last one has stopped.

Here we find Jareth preparing to go out and try to stop Sarah from progressing further in his labyrinth. Before he goes, he continues with his tale of Maria and her journey through the labyrinth to gain back the son her husband gave to the Owl King.

As our scene changes, we find Maria standing before a cemetery. In this cemetery are strange mausoleums. One of these mausoleums bears the name "Tyton". This causes confusion in Maria as she believes the Labyrinth is taking from her dreams and mind. Yet she has never seen a mausoleum that bears the last name of the man whom has broken her heart.

As Maria tries to figure out exactly how the Labyrinth really works, her two friends - Skubbin and Tangle, a living bush - remain nearby to help her should she need it. It is at this moment that a old woman painter appears and seeks her help. Apparently the dead in the cemetery are none too fond of the mausoleums and are harrassing her because of it. She tells them that the Owl King has commissioned his mausoleum to be made as his end of days seem to be dawning upon them soon. Seeing as Maria has the signet belonging to the Owl King, the old woman wants Maria to vanquish the dead so that she may continue her work. Skubbin admits the ring actually belongs to him and takes up arms against the undead.

Maria, on the other hand, gets an idea to use the chalk belonging to her son and begins drawing the face of Lord Tyton on his mausoleum and it turns into a statue. It is then that Maria discovers that she has the ability to alter reality and matter within the Labyrinth. She then turns her attention to the Owl King's mausoleum and begins drawing. Of course this causes cheers from those occupants of the cemetery. The statue of her husband's head luminates and then explodes where the mausoleum once stood.

It is at this moment the Owl King appears before Maria and tells her that she isn't the only one whom has the ability to alter things in the Labyrinth. He goes on to tell her that all her emotions that she has gone through are nothing more than basic reaction and her biggest is to be alone. With this in mind, he takes her two companions and disappears.

This series continues to entertain greatly as we learn the origins behind Jareth's rise to becoming the Goblin King. All of this is being told during Sarah's run. We get to see snippets of Sarah in various areas from the movie in this. Although she is seen sometimes briefly, we still know where she is in progress. We also get to see how Jareth waits for the moment to have his triumph but we all know how it ends for him.

As for Maria, she remains a strong woman despite her circumstances she has found herself in. Even with her son in the hands of the Owl King and the betrayal of her husband, Maria doesn't let this stop her in the least. She carries on and works harder to get her son back.

Although we know how this will end, you cannot help but to cheer her on.

This is series is seriously recommended to all those who are fans of the Labyrinth.