Welcome to the Maynard #2, written by James Robinson and illustrated by J. Bone and Ian Herring, follows Pippin (Pip) Dale as a bellboy at the ultra-swanky Maynard Hotel. The adventure continues. It is a destination where magical beings of all kinds come to party and relax during their travels. The book feels like a riff on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, only with Pip, a young, energetic woman with an insatiable curiosity, instead of two precocious boys as the main characters. be.
Pip’s design by artist J. Bone is impeccable, with a pixie haircut and an endless variety of cutesy expressions that make her look like Tinkerbell has been plucked from Peter Pan and stuffed into a bellhop outfit. Her character has an iconic look. As soon as you see her on the cover of a book, you can’t help but read that issue. Because you’ll want to know more about her and the fascinating world she lives in.
She’s a fun character, a half-magic who interacts with powerful magic users at every turn. She’s a little clumsy and forever overwhelmed by the army of ghosts, wizards, monsters, vampires, and more that flood the hotel from multiple dimensions.
The first issue was hilarious as it saw Pip struggle to connect the hot air balloon that the magician couple had arrived in, and then have to put the pet octopus back into its container a few frames later. There are some equally enjoyable moments in this issue. That makes the book as consistently humorous and unpredictable as the best sitcoms. In addition to The Suite Life, there are moments when the film feels like Night Court, sharing that series’ penchant for eccentricity and bizarre interactions.
dark horse
J. Bourne never stopped creating visually interesting characters with Pip. The supporting characters in the miniseries all have great visual styles. They include assistant manager Leonor Kramer, whose impossibly long nose makes him look extra pretentious, and doorman Trafford, who has a handlebar beard and a heart as big as his bulk. J. Bone also includes a sight gag in this issue. When Pip is at the Maynard Hotel, there’s usually something going on behind the scenes. You might have to read the issue twice to get all the gags.
But this book is about more than just laughs. A thief raids a hotel and steals valuable magical items from the guests. Sam Flynn, a hotel detective, handles cases more mysterious than robbers and hates people. Pip is also determined to catch the thief and decides to risk his job and life to catch him.
While the first issue spent a lot of time establishing Pip and Maynard, this issue advances the main plot and learns a little more about the thieves and their motivations. There are also some subplots in which Pip keeps his semi-magical heritage and work a secret from his girlfriend, who grows more suspicious of her as the days go by. The relationship between Pip and Sam Flynn is also explored further.
I’m loving this miniseries and the Maynard Hotel microcosm so far. The best books always present us with worlds we want to visit. If possible, I’d book Maynard’s for a few weeks and party hard with the poltergeists.
“Welcome to Maynard” #2 is the funniest magical mayhem
Welcome to Maynard #2
“Welcome to Maynard” is absolutely amazing, so much fun to read, and the main character, Pip, is iconic. It’s a miniseries that I hope will eventually be made into a movie.
Pip’s design by J. Bourne is visually striking, and his art throughout the book is packed with so many sight gags and background details that you’ll have to read this book twice. There is.
Author James Robinson moves this book along at a fast pace.
Pip and Sam’s relationship is like that of father and daughter, and their scenes together were a lot of fun.
