Welcome To The Maynard #2 Review

 

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: J Bone

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Jim Campbell

Cover Artists: J Bone & Jill Thompson

Editors: Daniel Chabon, Chuck Howitt-Lease & Foster R. Kupbens

Designer: Riley VanDyke

Digital Art Technician: Adam Pruett

Prepress: Jake Johnson

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: $4.99

Release Date: January 8, 2024

 

Pippin Dale enjoys her new job at the magical Maynard Hotel. She must pick things up quickly, as she is the sole bellhop on her second day. Despite her nonstop work, Pip keeps her eyes open. When she spots a cat burglar leaving a guest room, Pip’s pursuit ranges from the stairwell to the roof. Then, oops! Pip is hurtling toward the ground. Will Pip’s half-magical status help her survive? Or will someone else take the spotlight in James Robinson's story? Let's leap on our broomsticks, swoop into Welcome To The Maynard #2, and find out!

 

Story

Sam Flynn is briefing Margot Rathbone on the cat burglar investigation when Pip slams onto Margot’s desk. The Maynard’s manager tells Pip that portals surround the hotel for the guests' safety. When Pip explains she was pursuing the thief across the roof, Margot is impressed by her zeal in supporting Sam's investigation. But Pip is grateful to be working for Sam. The hotel detective has looked out for Pip since her mother died. Pip's mother worked at the Maynard, helping the orphan feel closer to the only parent she ever knew.

 

In Welcome To The Maynard #2, Pip learns more about Margot, her fellow bellhop Boots, and the bartender Raylene. She also discovers Sam is keeping secrets from her. Pip trusts her mentor, so she reluctantly accepts this. Still, Pip is the one who stands to lose the most in James Robinson’s story. While Margot is okay with Sam’s deception, Pip’s new friends may grow angry with her when they learn she has been spying on them.

 

The cat burglar disguises her voice and appearance. So, Pip and Sam try to guess her identity by understanding her motives. The investigation grows more difficult as the magical community converges on the Maynard for the Wizardry And Sundry Magical Feats Awards Gala. While Pip rushes off her feet, a grieving wizard reminds Pip what she stands to lose in Welcome To The Maynard #2.

 

Art

As Pip falls past a statue of a warrior with a sword and a winged helmet, a portal appears above the lawn and plants. Blimps and hot air balloons sail above a castle and buildings beyond the manager's expansive window. Statues grace the floor. Smaller creations fill shelves, evoking Finster’s miniature monsters in Bandora Palace. Sam rises to pick up Pip’s hat, and Margot circles her desk to smile at the gesturing bellhop. Wearing a gray suit and matching wide-brim hat, Sam rubs his square chin as he remembers learning from Pip’s grandfather. Pip crosses her arms over her chest as she discusses the case with Sam and Margot. But her body language is more relaxed when she pulls her brass and red luggage cart in Welcome To The Maynard #2.

 

Ian Herring fills J Bone’s whimsical art with vibrant characters, animals, and decorations that stand out from lightly colored backgrounds. The Maynard's rooftop garden and a public park soothe. What the snooty assistant manager lacks in his black tuxedo, he more than makes up for with his enormous nose. A man in white and green teleports into the lobby in a storm of doves. Pip smiles with an aging mage in a straw hat and gray suit. Yet she seems happiest while loading the luggage cart and talking with Boots amid the storm of activity in the ornate lobby.

 

Jim Campbell spell-casts black letters into white dialogue balloons and beige narrative boxes. A cloudy psychic communiqué fills the air with a vision of the assistant manager's face when Pip helps a ghost to its room. The letters occasionally embolden for intonation and turn gray for lowered voices instead of shrinking. But much more dialogue grows bold when a storm swirls through a guest room, filling panels gray and blue in Welcome To The Maynard #2. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

As Pip deceives her coworkers while pursuing an elusive cat burglar, she discovers a ticking timebomb at home. Welcome To The Maynard #2 tackles the difficulties of keeping secrets from loved ones while showing how power drives and alienates us from others.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.