I want to call it Shakespearian. I’m not sure that I can accurately do that. My memories of the man himself and his work are fuzzy at best, having been very disinterested in his work while in high school and having been too busy attempting to pound keyboard keys into general submission to act on the passing interest that has evolved since. However. Thinking back, I remember hearing, between fleeting thoughts about the several girls in the class I was clearly, silently infatuated with, that Shakespeare bucked a trend of sorts. He used language and jokes that common people would understand and enjoy, making plays for everyone, and not just those of higher education.

The fantasy genre is often rife with self-important eloquence - a trope many enjoy as a means to a greater immersive experience, but I’ve always found the practice of Sounding So Very Important to be very off-putting. The first thing that struck me about Umbral was the fact that Antony Johnston had the characters speaking in a language formed from modern colloquialisms and learned culture, fusing a displaced sense of time and place with something clearly recognizable. I can understand the characters, and I feel their reactions on a more visceral level, because when the shit goes down, they don’t utter a flowery attempt at shock. Their surprise and fear mirrors my own. With that key firmly in place, I settled into what turned out to be a nice journey through a different kind of fantasy book.

Umbral is surprising. Set up as a more standard fantasy tale, with royalty and bards and celebratory festivals and thieves and the like, the proceedings take a sharp turn fairly early. From there, a creeping sense of dread clings to what should feel like a fairy tale, a dark shadow sliding across a shining kingdom of yore. The atmosphere is an equal result of all creators: Johnston (listed as the story’s scribe) provides the bones. Christopher Mitten (the illuminator) takes the skeleton and plies sinew and skin, pulling it taught into something beautifully grotesque. John Rauch (the painter) slathers all in an etherial glow, adding tone and definition with vibrant colour seldom seen or utilized in the medium. Thomas Mauer provides voice, quietly and delicately dancing about, enhancing while never once stepping on toes or drawing attention in odd directions. The result is an exquisite looking book with a premise and feel that will pull you in deep.

If you’re reading this post as it goes live, you are a few short hours away from getting your hands on this comic. The fact that it has yet to be released is the only reason I’m leaving out much of the detail. Umbral is a book that should be experienced as fresh as possible, characters and all. If this book sounds like something you might enjoy, consider meeting the characters and exploring the world on your own terms. Pre-order it at your local comic shop or ComiXology, and then prepare yourself for an entirely unique experience. You’ll be glad you did.

Umbral #1 goes one sale on Wednesday November 13th, 2013.