MISC. MANGA, *Fated Faeries

Garison Dunn premiered their one-shot in the often-overlooked section of fantasy fandom, the fae culture. Faeries, or "fairies" as they are usually branded, are a whole other form of storytelling lost somewhere between high fantasy and generic children's fairy tales. The black and white manga format harkens back to the Golden Age of indy comics in the 70s-80s. It's hard to say if Elfquest was a major influence in this story's creation, but you can recognize a few of the character designs and traits.

Freesia is a busty but short nymph and her faerie companion Ilithia have a random encounter with an underground monster which she easily dispatched. Reverend Alstro comes across this brief fight and invites Freesia back to his village where he is praised as their who think he is descended from genuine faeries. Freesia and Ilithia soon realize that the Reverend is really a huckster preaching a quack philosophy in order to resurrect an evil demoness. Once the Reverend's ruse is realized and Freesia sends him into the hungry limbs of a plant creature. The two heroines then go on to the next adventure with the possibility of further tales to tell.

Fated Faeries is a manga-styled special that first got its premiere on Web Toon and then later in print through Antarctic Press. No word yet if there is going to be any kind of continuation of this storyline, but it is an enticing read for fans of fae folk.