Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Matheus Lopes, and Clayton Cowles was one of the most nominated books at this year’s Eisner Awards. It’s a kind of fictionalized biography of the daughter to a Robert E. Howard type that he never had, the book is a masterpiece of fantasy and a very complex way of not dealing with emotional trauma. Until it practically hits you in the face.
Of its team, Evely won the award for Best Penciller/Inker, Cowles for Best Lettering, and variant cover artist for the first issue Tula Lotay nabbed Best Cover Artist. The book itself was nominated for Best Limited Series, King for Best Writer, Lopes for Best Colouring, and Evely a second nomination for Best Cover Artist herself.
Our own Steve Baxi wrote an in depth analysis of the themes and narrative of the book earlier this year. I highly recommend reading it. I’m going to take a slightly different path here, looking primarily at the artwork.
“She continued in that vein for the rest of our journey, ignoring my implorations to improve her behavior while trying to shock me with scandals of her upbringing.”
Bilquis Evely has a style reminiscent of classic book illustration, like Randolph Caldecott or John Tenniel. Hatching and lines that work well giving texture in black and white, beautifully given example even in the chapter headings. Which I think is fitting for a story that blends fiction and reality in multiple ways, especially when its central conceit is of the world of a pulp writer.
Like the story itself, there are multiple layers to how the story is presented through the artwork. Two primary presentations, one of the framing narrative, with borderless panels. What’s kind of the top level of the story, the position from where the overall story is being told. The second, the more complex world of the story being told. With a number of permutations within those two frameworks. The top relatively ordinary, the bottom filled with overlapping layouts and the bulk of Evely’s fantastical designs for creatures and adventures. And the rambling manor of Wyndhorn itself.
Evely’s line art is enhanced further with the colours from Matheus Lopes. Lopes uses a limited colour scheme, mainly of yellow, blue, and purple, that allow the linework to shine. For the most part it also makes the bulk of the narrative feel of the period. Through Evely’s depiction of the clothing and the colours, it feels set in a different time. And when we get a few bursts of green or different hues of blue of the fantasy realm, it really pops in contrast.
“I have seen monsters, Lilith. And gods. There are so many gods.”
Clayton Cowles won the award for more than just Helen of Wyndhorn. His lettering also graces books ranging from as mainstream comics as you get in Batman to bespoke creator-owned comics like FML and this book itself. With his lettering, he gives each book its own voice and style. The letters here from him mirrors the complexity of the narrative.
Much of the book is told through the narration from Lilith Appleton and she gets a cursive mixed-cased text on a purple narration box. What I find interesting is through the nested narratives, we get a shift in point of view at one point, but the style of text remains the same, with just a change in colour of box to orange to represent Helen. It’s one of the elements that had me question something: how reliable a narrator is Lilith? It’s not necessarily supported anywhere in the text itself, but it’s an interesting bit for a book that has two seemingly contradictory tenets of “fantasy is real” and “not everything is exactly as it seems”.
Overall, Helen of Wyndhorn from King, Evely, Lopes, and Cowles is a captivating work. It blends methods of storytelling in order to present the picture of a young girl dealing with the sudden death of her father and discovering the secrets of her family. In doing so, trying to find some semblance of identity. All through a gorgeously presented fantasy world.
Classic Comic Compendium: HELEN OF WYNDHORN
Helen of Wyndhorn
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Bilquis Evely
Colourist: Matheus Lopes
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: March 13 – November 13 2024 (original issues)
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