Fredrick The Frost Gnome. Troy Vevasis (Writer), Tyrell Deaver (Art), Nikkki Sherman (Scripting). WP Comics (2017)

A charming and engaging comic that completes a nice set up and pay off in a single issue. The ice sculpture of the Frost Gnome king is vandalised by Ice Goblins who also leave a message about returning for the Frost Gnome King's crown. This naturally leads to a declaration of war though Fredrick is concerned that there may be more going on. As events unfold Fredrick proves to be cool under pressure as well as rather smart and the conclusion is nicely set up for more trouble.
Troy Vevasis, thankfully, does not take the view that writing for children means that a story should be any less well developed than for any other audience. The presentation is more light handed than it would be for a more adult audience, the plot mechanics and the story development would not be changed. The conflict is presented with a considered level of serious intent that the story and the audience deserve.
Tyrell Deaver's friendly art is a pleasure to read, the gnomes and the goblins are strongly differentiated, the Goblins are clearly green skinned villains, the are visibly angry and frustrated. They are going to be tricky opponents. The Frost Gnomes are altogether friendlier, they are peaceful but should not be taken lightly. Fredrick is every inch the hero, loyal and resourceful.
The action is delivered with just the right amount of force and weight, there is no blood but there is plenty of actions and reactions from the cast to bring home just how serious the problem is. The reader is never shortchanged in the story or the art, it is a rock solid action story.
Nikki Sherman's scripting is natural and easy, the lettering blends into the panels without ever drawing attention to itself. The sound effects are sparing and very well used, they give just the extra emphasis that is needed and at the end loudly and suitably underscore the situation.
Writing for an all ages audience with a particular emphasis on children is a seriously difficult matter, all of the distractions and short cuts that can be used for a more adult audience are not available and children are very critical of any attempt to shortchange them. Troy Vevasis and Tyrell Deaver make it look easy, talent has that effect.
Chief Wizard Note: This is a review copy, very kindly sent by Troy Verasis, to purchase a copy of Fredrick the Frost Gnome, which you should because good comics are always a great purchase, you can do so here, WP Comics.

The Diamond Star Issue 1. Troy Vevasis (Writer), Alethea Van Holland (Art), Nikki Sherman (Letters). Tenacious Comics (March, 2017)

Very engaging and enjoyable story about a young woman who completes a dangerous journey and realises that it is really the first step in a greater journey. Irena is asked by her father to deliver the Diamond Star to his dying brother who oversees the skies and if he dies all life will end. Irena takes the Diamond Star and heads off of the journey which is as eventful as it should be.
Troy Vevasis takes a very simple framework and delivers a story with great heart and charm, an engaging lead character who has to make interesting choices and decisions. Troy Vevasis solves the two major story problems with care and thoughtful detail, the first is the the gender of the lead charachter. This is a  tricky choice to make and get right, a young man is an easy choice, there is an enormous tradition of stories and forms to rest against and draw down to build upon. Chosing a female lead is somewhat more complex, it carries the implied idea of being deliberately non traditional, to have a sub text of making a point which can jostle uneasily with such a simple story framework. The utter naturalness of the story means that the lead character is allowed to simply be herself without sense of the reader being directed any way.
The second is the problems that Irena encounters on the way to her uncle, they need to be sufficiently serious to be an actual test of character without being too dense, they are perfectly set up to demonstrate both Irena's care for others and her willingness to be tough and tough minded. She is willing and capable of handling trouble, when adventure entices she will be ready to embrace it.
Alethea Van Holland's art is a pleasure to read, it captures the moving spirit of the story, an adventure quest that tests the hero, with subtle detail and wonderful expressiveness. The cast are energetic and varied, they all move through their context with natural force and eloquent body language. The villains are strongly villainous, they are clearly a serious threat, facing them is not a simple matter. Irena takes the strain with sharp and clear determination. The colours capture and amplify the emotional context of the story with subtle strength, the bright shades express the fantasy element of the story without compromising it.
Nikki Shermn's letters are are quiet, they flow naturally within the panels, delivering information without ever being obvious, a significant achievement.
A straightforward story leaves the creators nowhere to hide, when it is done as nicely as it is here it looks easy, there is tremendous craft hiding in plain sight here, a pleasure.
Chief Wizard Note: This is a review copy very kindly sent by Troy Vevasis, to purchase a copy of The Diamond Star Issue 1, which you should to increase your joy in living, it is available from   Tenacious Comics 

Mr Crypt No. 1. Troy Vevasis (Writer), Aleksander Jovic (Art). Alterna Comics (2016)

Very engaging and charming comic that uses animation structures to great effect. On a night in 1932 a skeleton emerges from a grave and sets off to the nearby town where the locals assume he is an evil skeleton and chase him (with torches and pitchforks of course). The skeleton escapes capture, finds somewhere to hide, befriends a rat and sets about organising his life.
When the central idea is this simple the burden fall almost completely on the execution and the comic rises to the challenge with such ease and confident skill that it is a pleasure to read.
Troy Vevasis takes a very smart approach to the structure of the comic, it is a series of short episodes, each complete in themselves and with a running gag that provides a connection. The structure is similar to that used by short serial animated shows and it works really well here. The running gag is actually about running and it keeps the necessary tension into the story, it allows the natural easy humour of the writing come through as a counterpoint. Mr Crypts kind nature, he befriends a starving rat  is contrasted with the fear and rage of the mob that chases him. At the same time Mr Crypt is a walking skeleton so the reaction of the villagers is entirely understandable. The heart of the story is misunderstanding rather than hate and this creates story possibilities that Troy Vevasis takes full advantage of.
Troy Vevasis has taken a considerable risk with Mr Crypt, an uncomplicated story line leaves the writer no room to recover from a false note, everything has to work, each episode has to deliver something. It needs very considerable talent and confidence to make this work as well as they do in this comic.
Aleksander Jovic's art has the utterly essential friendliness needed to deliver the story, the idea is essentially horrific and it need to retain a slight edge while not being threatening. It has to make the absurdity of the situation normal, just not too normal. The slightly cartoony art manages all of this with ease, the villagers look angry but not baleful, the skeleton is a friendly as a skeleton can possibly be. The very ridiculous disguise that Mr Crypt uses is just a joy, it nails the story idea  and establishes the story universe with playful accuracy. The bright colours capture and emphasise the story ideas, the shadows are friendly not frightening. They are really strong as the story has the room for them, they are not subtle except in the way that the overall effect is, they chime so well with the story intent that they also hide their craft in plain sight. The lettering is quiet and natural, the sound effects are smart and capture the moments with the right weight and volume.
The "All Ages" label can be a death notice for any project, it runs the risk of being too obvious for adults, too condescending for teenagers and too thin for young children. Mr Crypt is a comic that can be read with pleasure by anyone because it is not "All Ages" it is simply true to the creators vision and delivers charm, craft, friendship, danger and complete absurdity with confidence.
Chief Wizard Note: This is a review copy very kindly sent by Troy Vevasis, you can purchase Mr Crypt 1 (and you should the quiet charm will reduce stress and increase happiness) from  Mr. Crypt #1 - Comics by comiXology.