Jayson’s Reviews > Helen of Wyndhorn > Status Update
Jayson
is on page 138 of 182
Notes:
(1) If Tom King ever writes a story NOT about lonely and depressed characters, I'll be there for it.
- In the meantime, loneliness and depression is what we get.
- I could do with some magic and fantasy in this supposed fantasy tale.
(2) In a story about a hidden sword-and-sorcery realm, the most dramatic and intriguing aspect is the ultimate fate of audio cassettes.
— Jun 15, 2026 01:00AM
Notes:
(1) If Tom King ever writes a story NOT about lonely and depressed characters, I'll be there for it.
- In the meantime, loneliness and depression is what we get.
- I could do with some magic and fantasy in this supposed fantasy tale.
(2) In a story about a hidden sword-and-sorcery realm, the most dramatic and intriguing aspect is the ultimate fate of audio cassettes.
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is on page 164 of 182
Notes:
(1) So, do we get any answers? Kind of—but no...
- It was a very "who cares?" final issue.
- Perhaps the big reveal would have actually meant something if it was the least bit foreshadowed or set up—but no...
(2) What this boils down to is truly exceptional art illustrating a lamentably vacuous plot, and therefore elevating it well past what it by all means deserves.
— Jun 15, 2026 02:15AM
Notes:
(1) So, do we get any answers? Kind of—but no...
- It was a very "who cares?" final issue.
- Perhaps the big reveal would have actually meant something if it was the least bit foreshadowed or set up—but no...
(2) What this boils down to is truly exceptional art illustrating a lamentably vacuous plot, and therefore elevating it well past what it by all means deserves.
Jayson
is on page 112 of 182
Notes:
(1) My main problem here is the trips into the fantasy realm don't mean anything.
- They're important in that they happen, but having no mission nor clear purpose means they're just fantasy gibberish.
(2) I like how the audio cassette interviews are being passed person to person.
- It's very Elder Wand, and sort of depicts analog media as relics of a pre-digital age.
— Jun 14, 2026 09:30PM
Notes:
(1) My main problem here is the trips into the fantasy realm don't mean anything.
- They're important in that they happen, but having no mission nor clear purpose means they're just fantasy gibberish.
(2) I like how the audio cassette interviews are being passed person to person.
- It's very Elder Wand, and sort of depicts analog media as relics of a pre-digital age.
Jayson
is on page 86 of 182
Notes:
(1) So, it seems like the "present day" of this story is creeping forward in time, I suppose, until it reaches the actual present day.
(2) Helen recounts her journey to Lilith, who's been recounting this to Tom.
- The issue's essentially an oral history flashback within an oral history flashback.
(3) This went a lot quicker than before—more eventful and less baroque.
— Jun 14, 2026 07:00PM
Notes:
(1) So, it seems like the "present day" of this story is creeping forward in time, I suppose, until it reaches the actual present day.
(2) Helen recounts her journey to Lilith, who's been recounting this to Tom.
- The issue's essentially an oral history flashback within an oral history flashback.
(3) This went a lot quicker than before—more eventful and less baroque.
Jayson
is on page 60 of 182
Notes:
(1) I hadn't planned on updates for every issue, and I still might not, but this is so dense that a break in between for reflection and assessment isn't the worst idea.
(2) Slower and less eventful than the first issue, but this establishes a clear narrative framework.
- The story's actually one long oral history flashback (like "Titanic") with the present day ~1990.
— Jun 14, 2026 06:05PM
Notes:
(1) I hadn't planned on updates for every issue, and I still might not, but this is so dense that a break in between for reflection and assessment isn't the worst idea.
(2) Slower and less eventful than the first issue, but this establishes a clear narrative framework.
- The story's actually one long oral history flashback (like "Titanic") with the present day ~1990.
Jayson
is on page 34 of 182
Notes:
(1) I've not read a ton of Tom King, but I've read enough to know that his true talent is in attracting top-tier artists to bring life to his nothing-special stories.
- This is super dense and wordy, like reading a Victorian novel.
(2) Evely's art is the star of the show—a real turn-of-the-century aesthetic.
- At times very Alphonse Mucha, at times very Sidney Paget.
— Jun 13, 2026 10:30PM
Notes:
(1) I've not read a ton of Tom King, but I've read enough to know that his true talent is in attracting top-tier artists to bring life to his nothing-special stories.
- This is super dense and wordy, like reading a Victorian novel.
(2) Evely's art is the star of the show—a real turn-of-the-century aesthetic.
- At times very Alphonse Mucha, at times very Sidney Paget.
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) So, I'm only reading this because I like Bilquis Evely's art. Otherwise, I can take or leave Tom King, and the story's not really something I'm naturally inclined to read.
- The whole barbarian pulp x semi-portal fantasy sounds a lot like a storyline from Mark Millar's "The Magic Order," though I'm sure it's completely different.
- Really, I have no expectations.
— Jun 04, 2026 04:00PM
Notes:
(1) So, I'm only reading this because I like Bilquis Evely's art. Otherwise, I can take or leave Tom King, and the story's not really something I'm naturally inclined to read.
- The whole barbarian pulp x semi-portal fantasy sounds a lot like a storyline from Mark Millar's "The Magic Order," though I'm sure it's completely different.
- Really, I have no expectations.
