Beat THIS, Epic Mickey!

As Walt Disney Pictures keeps milking the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise for all its worth and sitting on Guillermo Del Toro’s remake of The Haunted Mansion, they ought to take a cue from their own Marvel Comics and their “Disney Kingdoms” line. Based on characters and mythologies from beloved Disney Parks attractions, the newest of the pack is of Walt Disney World’s own Dreamfinder and Figment, which has just finished its five-episode story arc.

Figment, as it is known, begins at the Academy Scientifica-Lucidus, in London at the turn of the century, where inventor Blarion “Blair” Mercurial is under great duress to find a new source of energy, as per the instructions of the Academy’s Chairman. Looking far beyond, Blair seeks to conjure the energy of the brain and its thoughts, which, when tested, leads to the creation of a dragon called Figment, and that is just the start of the journey into imagination!

Written by Jim Zub (Wayward, Skullkickers) and illustrated by Filipe Andrade & Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Figment is a feast both visual and verbal, with gorgeous landscapes and action abound, suggesting the work of the Disney Animators of years past, and dialogue as rich with happiness and pathos as the finest wine — this is a story that embodies the spirit of Walt Disney and his vision. My only gripe with the story is that the resolution in issues 4 and 5 comes about all too fast. It’s not to say that the issues needed to be bulkier, but this could very easily have been stretched out over the course of ten issues, perhaps more. There is, as always, the chance for a sequel series, or even a film adaptation, to expound upon the nuances made by the characters and, by association, the good Mr. Zub, but this reviewer is content with the story as it is, and it gets my highest marks for a current age comic.

Rating: 5/5