This is the official "sequel" series to the beloved cult classic, The Labyrinth.
Toby is now a teenager, but he's hardly normal. His whole life, unusual things have been happening to him - whatever he wishes for, he gets, but the results do him no favors (and can even make things worse). When Toby finds out that the eccentric Jareth is behind it, he isn't happy, and so the irritated Goblin King seems to back off, leaving Toby to handle life on his own. But things don't stay chaos-free for long, because a goblin steals Toby's homework, and the angry teen decides to follow him through a hole in his closet, leading to the Labyrinth. What he finds there is nothing he could've predicted (or ever understood). And since Jareth has claimed him as a successor to the throne, things can only become less ordinary and more dangerous.
-I really should not have come into this with high expectations - after all, nothing can match up to the wonderful film. I was disappointed, to put it lightly. I never expected perfection, I just wanted it to be handled better.
-Sarah is almost not even in the book - she's barely a background character. And considering the imaginative young beauty became such a bland and depressing schoolteacher, she really should've taken Jareth up on that offer so many years ago.
-The artwork is awkward, blocky and ill-suiting (don't let the cover fool you!), so distracting at times I couldn't pay attention to the story. Like they gave someone a "How to Draw Manga" book and ran with it.
-There are too many characters to digest, on top of a lot of cameo appearances from the movie's original characters. I couldn't keep track. It seems we also have a Cinderella-like character named Moppet, whom Toby will no doubt rescue from the evil clutches of Mayor Spittledrum. I think she's pretty much a human wearing a goblin mask. We'll see.
-The way Jareth talks to and interacts with Toby creeps me out. He's more like a low level pedophile now, as compared to his father-like tendencies from when Toby was a toddler. And he doesn't mention or in any way acknowledge Sarah's very existence! Considering the man was in LOVE with her, I just don't see how he could so casually forget, especially since he's been interacting with her little brother.
If the next volume is better, I can forgive them for this dismal beginning. Any hardcore fans should probably stay away, unless you're the type that simply has to have anything related to The Labyrinth. Or, if you don't really care one way or another, and need some light reading - by all means, check it out.
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