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Over the Garden Wall Special #1 Embraces the Journey Over the Destination

Over the Garden Wall Special #1 Embraces the Journey Over the Destination

 

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Over the Garden Wall Special #1

Created & Written by: Pat McHale

Illustrated by: Jim Campbell

Colors by: Danielle Burgos

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Acting as a companion to the mini-series that aired Nov. 3-7 on Cartoon Network, Over the Garden Wall Special #1 gives readers the chance to see some of the off-screen shenanigans that Wirt and Greg, his plucky little brother, get into while following Beatrice, a bluebird bent on getting the boys out of her feathers ASAP, to Adelaide of the Pasture’s house. After this, they can finally leave the woods and go back home. If you haven’t watched the series yet, I encourage you to look it up and give it a watch while Cartoon Network still has it available online. Over the Garden Wall is a pinch of fantasy, a dash of creepy, and a whole lot of weird.

What I found wonderful about the Over the Garden Wall comic is that we get to see what Wirt is thinking about. Greg talks non-stop, and Beatrice is always tweeting out orders, but Wirt trails behind in mopey silence. In the mini-series ,his mind tends to wander, which lead me to wonder, “What’s on Wirt’s mind?”

Wirt’s thoughts often turn to Sara, a girl whom he likes but doesn’t know he exists, at least according to Wirt. He can be… a little dramatic. Okay, Wirt is the prime example of melancholy. Reading his dreary diction is difficult to do without laughing or shaking your head. Ah teenagers, when will they learn?

Wirt is also a bit of a poet. Here’s an example of his poetry prowess:

 

The stars, but shattered glass against a shrouded sky. The sea-sick fields ever waving goodbye. A misplaced soul sailing parts unknown with the hope, and the dread, of returning home.

A tragic poem, the world is.

But somehow…every morning…a sunrise.

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When he isn’t thinking about Sara or composing a poem, Wirt comments on the world around him, constantly questioning whether what he is seeing is real or not. A giant bicorne ship sailing through a sea of grain isn’t  something Wirt is used to seeing. Wirt’s confusion over a giant sailing hat only raises more questions about the world he and his brother are traveling through. Reader’s aren’t told how the brothers got lost, or where they are from.

Pat McHale and his team are more interested in showing a journey where things happen spontaneously, just as they would in real life. Journey’s are filled with highs, lows, and plateau’s, and Over the Garden Wall is willing to show all three. This is evident by the characters ending the comic in the exact same place they started. They made absolutely no progress toward Adelaide’s. However, the voyage across the grain wasn’t a complete loss. Wirt became a General, Greg learned how to steer a bucket, and Beatrice learned not to trust Wirt with directions.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the woods with Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice. If you’re a fan of Adventure Time, it might be time to grab a friend and climb over the garden wall. 

[wpchatai]