Writers: Sergio Aragonés & Mark Evanier
Illustrator & Cover Artist: Sergio Aragonés
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Stan Sakai
Cover Artist: Sergio Aragonés
Editors: Philip R Simon & Rose Weitz
Designer: May Hijikuro
Digital Art Technician: Adam Pruett
Publisher: Dark Horse
Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 9, 2024
When the minstrel and his daughter arrive in Boyce, the
customers in an inn welcome their return. As her father regales them with
another musical tale of his favorite hero, a servant offers Kayli something to
eat. The patrons are eager to hear the minstrel's instrumental epic. How will
he bless their lives with his latest ode to the bumbling barbarian? Let's tune
up our lutes, leap into Groo: Minstrel Melodies #2, and find out!
Story
Groo and his loyal companion Rufferto hear a sobbing wail as
they wander through the forest. His dog believes the cry came from a child.
Groo’s keen ears detect the cry of a baby goat, a delicious piglet, or perhaps
even a goat. When they meet a hungry boy, Groo offers to feed him. Then, he
discovers that the orphan has many friends. That evening, as the group roasts
the fruits of Groo’s hunt, the children rejoice in the feast. Afterward, they
cluster around Groo and Rufferto as they sleep. But Groo remains awake. Like
Beorn, Groo knows he cannot support a house full of little people. But then, he
doesn't even have a hut!
The next day, Groo tries to find parents for the orphans. As
in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the third time proves the charm. But Groo
is unsure those who offer to care for the children would give them the best
life possible. Thankfully, an idea comes to the wandering barbarian’s rescue.
So what if one of the children suggested it? As Groo proclaims in Groo:
Minstrel Melodies #2, he can defeat armies, destroy villages, conquer ships,
and sink dragons. If he can do all that, surely he can take someone else’s idea
and make it his own!
In Sergio Aragonés & Mark Evanier’s story, Groo assesses
his abilities and lifestyle and realizes he is unfit to raise a child. Groo may
be partially responsible for their predicament. Still, when confronted with
their need, Groo tries to find people who will adopt them. Like a credentialed
social worker, Groo returns to ensure the orphans receive the care and
attention he believes they deserve. Perhaps Groo is correct, and he is unfit to
care for children. Still, the wandering barbarian doesn’t have to be bribed
with barrels of cheese dip to help Jane Eyre and Oliver Twist’s friends in
Groo: Minstrel Melodies #2.
Art
Unlike the walled town the minstrel visited in the previous
story and the crumbling village Groo reduced to ash in the minstrel's song,
Boyce evokes an English hamlet. Its whitewashed cottages with thatched roofs
line the wide dirt road and climb a verdant fell. Customers pack tables inside
the inn, drinking frothy tankards of ale, eating meat cooked on the grill, or
even enjoying a slice of watermelon. Perhaps the bats flying from the head of
the minstrel's instrument should warn the diners that even listening to a song
about Groo can be dangerous. But as the instrument continually conjures images of
erupting volcanos, fire-breathing dragons, and even leaping dolphins, who would
suspect the smiling minstrel with his belled jester hat of endangering them?
While Sergio Aragonés fills in for the regular artist who
has yet to work on the series, Carrie Strachan lavishes a loaded palette on
Groo: Minstrel Melodies #2. The green and yellow-clad minstrel blends
harmoniously with Groo’s yellow tunic. Kayli’s pink dress and the scarlet
stripes on her stockings link with the gleaming red gems on Groo’s gold
bracelets, while Strachan helps Cecil B Demille's costume designers array the
bit players and extras in colorful garments.
Stan Sakai fills white balloons with uppercase black dialogue
and adorns the minstrel’s lowercase lyrics with red music notes. Townspeople
and Rufferto’s thoughts appear in cloudy balloons, while the cry that Groo
thinks could be from an infant salmon appears in red letters. After all of
Sakai's generously sized contributions, a silent one-page Rufferto story
suggests that behaviors learned in childhood can determine an adult’s
suitability to be a responsible parent in Groo: Minstrel Melodies #2. Thanks to
Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.
Final Thoughts
When Groo befriends displaced orphans, the wandering
barbarian discovers that finding responsible and loving parents may be the
biggest challenge of his wandering career in Groo: Minstrel Melodies #2.
Rating 10/10
To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
