Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Shortcuts, Vol. 1

Jim Henson's Labyrinth (Archaia)

by Various, Cory Godbey, Delilah S. Dawson

Celebrate the beloved Jim Henson fantasy film with stories from inside the magical walls of the Labyrinth!

Featuring fan-favorite characters like Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and the Goblin King himself, this compilation showcases imaginative tales from critically acclaimed writers and artists alike, including Jonathan Case (The New Deal), Delilah S. Dawson (Star Phasma), Gustavo Duarte (Bizarro), Roger Langridge (Snarked), Katie Cook (Star ABC-3PO), Jeff Stokely (Six-Gun Gorilla), and many others.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Short Stories, Graphic Novels Comics, Manga, Young Adult

112 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2018

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must for all Labyrinth fans.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories built around Labyrinth is the epitome of fluff. There's nothing bad here, but nothing in it is consequential either (while they do try to explain Ludo's friendship with the rocks, the story lets it down a bit, inhibited by communication between the two). The art is nice overall, with each story by a different artist, all of whom manage to give the Labyrinth feel to their art. I was surprised Hoggle only shows up in one story (the 'allo worm makes more appearances), with the majority of the stories focusing on random goblins. Again, nothing here is bad, but nothing really adds to the story in any meaningful way. Recommended only to ardent fans of the movie.

[Rebecca Dee Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loved this! I loved the wee references and nods to the film, and the little snippets of scenes we didn't see which gave more of an insight.

The Worm is just amazing and I loved how often he popped up in this.

The art work is varied and really nice, and the script to page at the back was a nice look into how one of the stories came together.

Now just to hunt down Volume Two!

[Shayshkers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little read. I enjoyed this little series of shorts because they focus on the cute, and whimsical, world of the labyrinth.

[Megan Wors · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bunch of really cute funny Labyrinth stories that created the perfect sense of nostalgia!

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the stories I've read before--collected in other volumes. All are adorable.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by various artists about Labyrinth! I liked most of them and I think they added to the world. A lot were very short and I wanted more though!!

[Ashley Beery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't overly impressed with this series of short stories. There was no Sarah, very few had Jareth and the ones that did he was so crudely drawn it was atrocious. Some even seemed like a rehash from the Labyrinths book printed out before. Most focused on the Goblins or Ludo, which were all yawn worthy stories at best. Honestly, I felt like this was a waste and so much potential had been wasted on silly side stories such as Ludo using a rock to stop an alligator while fishing, Ludo saving rocks while mining, Ludo using rocks to solve a puzzle....yeah.......that's three of the stories in the book, not even joking.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally fine stories, but nothing really terribly interesting. Labyrinth fans will just be happy to step into the movie world again, honestly.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

As with most compilation books like this, the quality of each story varies. I didn't love this set but there were a couple of nice standouts.

[DeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an 80s baby, Labyrinth was a staple of my childhood and beyond, so when I saw new comics coming out featuring our favorite bad boy goblin king as well as stories simply set in the world or about side characters I knew I wanted to pick them up. I realized that I hadn't yet picked this one up so had to give it a read. I really enjoyed all the different voices and perspectives in each story, some related to the time when Sarah is in the Labyrinth and some in completely different times or parts of the Goblin kingdom. I didn't love all the different art styles, but that is personal preference - in all of the stories the vibe and feeling of the world was accurate and fit perfectly into the world created in the movie. I think most lovers of Labyrinth would enjoy these little snippets into the world of the goblins and Goblin King.

[Krystelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of gorgeous short stories from the Labyrinth universe that take us further into the world. There’s some real standouts in this collection, including ‘Cup Of Tea?’ and ‘Hoggle And The Worm’, which both tickled me pink. The artwork, although the styles vary widely, is incredible, and the characterisation is also very on point for the series. Just the right mix of kitsch and camp as well as fantasy. This is a must read for any fan of the movie, and my sole complaint is that it got a little too derivative of the film directly in some places. A wonderful read.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

No disrespect to the creators in this anthology, but this wasn’t really my thing. I kinda found it disappointing and boring. I guess I just have no interest in Labyrinth slice of life stories.
Still, it’s a varied collection of stories and art styles and worth a look at, just maybe from a library instead.

[Kimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short stories in the world of Jim Henson's "The Labyrinth".

Some of these are well drawn and well thought out amd imagined but others are a little lackluster and miss the mark. I did enjoy going through these tales, so much reminiscing.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun visit with some of our favourite characters! I just wished there was more Jareth, so I’ll check out Labyrinth Coronation next. Loved seeing the worm and Sir Didymus again!

[The Carrion Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Wrong Toby" and "Hoggle and the Worm" are the best stories in this collection. Shame about the others.

[madeline khloē · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and nostalgia-inducing comics from various artists. Some are PERFECT and some I didn’t like so much (hence 4/5 stars) but overall, a stunning collection.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably my favourite film ever so I couldn't resist this.
There's some lovely art here but ultimately the pieces are too short for any meaningful stories to develop.

[Regina Eubanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and nostalgic with stories of characters from the Labyrinth world. That alone gives it the 4 stars!!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This comic has everything: Jareth, the power of friendship, and inexplicable Evangelion adaptation! The only thing it lacked was more Sarah

[Meghan Hills · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this I thought it was super cute and fun. I just wish we couldve gotten more stories from characters we saw in the movie then was given

[Mosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed shortcuts even more than under the spell, could be because of all the Ello worm stories. I just love that little fuzzy guy.

[Captain I · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when other people love the quirky things I love and know all the obscure references ☺️

[Rachel Kolar · Rating 2 out of 5]

For completists only, EXCEPT Humongous Two. It was a silly crossover fanfic but it made me laugh out loud.

[Dann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Labyrinth: Shortcuts – Volume One is a fun and entertaining graphic novel that delivers 12 new stories inspired by the classic Jim Henson film. Featuring several different writers and artists, the origins of Ludo, Hoggle, and Sir Didymus are explored, along with a few goblin misadventures. The stories are only a couple pages each and are lighthearted; usually building to a joke or a cute moment. However, the book is clearly geared toward children and can get a little too silly and juvenile for older audiences. And the artwork too sometimes goes for a storybook aesthetic with rather crude drawings and cartoonist character designs. Yet while it has its weaknesses, Labyrinth: Shortcuts – Volume One is an enjoyable anthology that enriches the enchanting world that Henson created.