Much like the previous graphic novel, Scurry: The Drowned Forest was brought to fruition with a successful Kickstarter campaign, this time in August of 2017, but can also be read online. Artist and writer Mac Smith takes his readers on a new exciting journey deep into the forest of his post-apocalyptic world. Picking up immediately where Scurry: The Doomed Colony left off, readers are thrown into the tense action and heart-tugging, roller coaster of a story.

Not only is The Drowned Forest a progression of the story started in the first installment, but it also exemplifies the progression of Smith himself both as a storyteller and an illustrator. The troubles of the colony are still ever-present even though the heroes are being thrown to the wolves in their current plight as their experience grows to include a world they never imagined. Pict and Wix have been separated and while they seek to find each other, they must both tread a dangerous path introducing them to larger creatures and even larger plots than in their past.

The characters this time around have a new sense of depth and history that both intrigues and inspires the imagination. Atlas, a refugee from another forest comes into the story seemingly from nowhere with hints at some apparently epic backstory and inserts himself into the plot, quickly becoming a major character. Though it is currently unknown, it seems like he will have a big role to play in the future. The Witches introduce a Shakespearean element all their own as they manipulate but do not get directly involved. Erebus leads his followers with a sense of wisdom and purpose they do not themselves understand. The ravens are a faction writhing with deceit that reminds the reader of a certain Wormtongue, and yet the reader will have to wait to see just how deep their nature goes.

All of these players are wrapped in a grander setting than just the struggling colony of the first book or the city to which the heroes set out. The forest, the city, and the settings in between and beyond are beautifully and vibrantly displayed in each panel of the book. Several times we stopped just to look and admire the artwork painted by Mac Smith and to savor his progression as an artist. One panel, in particular, was when a large snake named Gorgon is wriggling up behind Pict. The color and detail of that one frame alone are astounding. Another was the dream sequence in which Wix envisions Titan from the first book transforming into the image of a wolf that would become a major part of book two. Smith even mentions in his commentary how he improved over the course of the book with new techniques and skill sets as an artist and it really shows in The Drowned Forest.

Though book two is longer the first, the story is such a page-turner that we reached the end before we knew it. Several plot points from the original book as well as a few of those brought to light in The Drowned Forest are promised to be brought to their conclusion for the readers in the third installment. With so many unanswered questions spanning both of the books, I must constantly remind myself to be patient as I wait for the arrival of our copy of Kickstarter rewards for Scurry: The Shadow’s Curse, which is slated to arrive in early 2021. Mac Smith has truly captured our hearts and minds with his thus far epic tale and it is with bated breath that we await his continuing to do so in what will be, we are sure, another amazingly delightful presentation of his skills with its arrival.

All photos included in this review of Mac Smith’s Scurry: The Drowned Forest were taken and edited by Krista. Scurry can also be read as a web-comic.