Maze Comic Book Review - Neverwhere

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (2007) AMZN

from Vertigo, 221 Pages

by MIKE CAREY (Author), GLENN FABRY (Author), Glenn Fabry (Illustrator, Artist)

This is a comic book version of Neil Gaiman’s novel. I must say that having read this fantasy story that deals with so many colorful characters and interesting places, it makes for a perfect comic adaption. Sure, we can get into the age old discussion of how the book is better than the movie or vice versa, but in this case the illustrations of the world (Neverwhere, or London below) and it’s people make up for any narrative that is lost from the book. After all, taking 400 written pages down to 221 and adding pictures you are bound to lose some of the story.

As far as that story goes, well it is a wonderful quest story that takes place between the London Above that we all know and love (do we all love it?- I’m a big fan) and a magical city called Neverwhere that is below London. The main characters are Door, who can open all types of doors to anywhere, and from London above, Richard Mayhew who I can best describe as a completely ordinary guy. And then, one day, his life will never be the same. And we get a quest that includes needing to navigate a maze to reach their final destination. But as is the case in many mazes/labyrinths it is guarded by a beast, which may or may not be a minotaur ? What do you think ? Whatever it is, this is not something I would want to meet.

This is an excellent story. Read it. 8.5/10 !

This story was also made into a television mini-series in 1996 that received ok reviews (7.2 on IMDB) split into six 30 minute episodes. I think it would be a perfect story for an update in the age of streaming. You can currently find the entire series streaming on YouTube. Here is episode 1 to get you started.

Other blog posts you might like:

The 12 Best Maze and Labyrinth Movies Of All Time

Watchmojo's Best Maze Movie Scenes

How to make over 40 types of maze

Maze Comic Book Reviews - Jim Henson's Labyrinth Comics

I read and review maze books about the spirituality of mazes, or the history of physical mazes. I also delve into comic books that contain either mazes and labyrinths. You will not be surprised that today’s comics based on Jim Henson’s classic film from 1986 Labyrinth do just that. We have 4 different versions to look at.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth 2016 30th Anniversary Special (2016)

from BOOM! Studios, 40 pages

by Jonathan Case, Cory Godbey, Ted Naifeh, Adrianne Ambrose

The comic consists a collection of 7 stories featuring some of the movie characters (the wonderful Jim Henson puppets from the movie). It is actually a collection of previously released mini stories that were given out for free comic book day. The stories are quick, fun and are not interconnected. It is helpful to know a bit about the characters to enhance the relatability, but you will not be lost (maze reference?) if you pick this up with no prior knowledge.

The best story, and the reason for this review is story 4 titled “Rock Solid Friendship”, which features Ludo the monster in a predicament that has him entering the labyrinth to escape. But is entering the labyrinth really a good idea ? Now Ludo must find his way out !!

Ludo approaching the Labyrinth

Overall this is a comic great for fans of the movie, and worth a read if you are not but you do like 5 page fantasy stories.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth Tales (2016)

from BOOM! Studios, 46 pages

by Jim Henson, Cory Godbey

We come back with a second book based off of the same characters, from the same year, the same publishing company and the same illustrator. I think you will love the artwork you see in this volume from Cory Godbey and I suggest you check out his site/portfolio to discover even more.

And as far as a review. Really this book, despite having the same illustrator is more about the illustration than the first volume above. The book is almost completely full page illustrations that look like paintings. There are 3 short stories included in the book. Outstanding book. You will spend more time looking at the pictures than reading the dialogue.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth 2017 Special (2017)

from BOOM! Studios, 40 pages

by Jim Henson, Katie Cook, Delilah S. Dawson, Roger Langridge , illustrated by Jared Cullum and more

Our final review is from the 2017 Special volume that features 6 short stories. Of the three comics this one does feature a few stories with the Goblin King, but like the other volumes really focuses on the puppet characters from the film like Sir Didymus, Worm, The Four Guards, and Ludo.

Each of the stories are fun and we get a different look from our first 2 reviews. This is mostly because we have 5 different illustrators for the 6 stories. Although we do not see any illustrations of the labyrinth, we do get a call back to the famous MC Escher inspired room you probably remember from the movie.

Jim Henson's Labyrinth Artist Tribute (2016) AMZN

from Boom! Studios, 120 Pages

by various authors and illustrators (see list below)

First, let’s start with a photo of the page that lists all of the artists you will find in the edition. It is a large list and includes artists who use many different styles !

This comic is exactly what the title says it is. If you are a fan of Labyrinth, either the book, the movie, or the comics, this is the book for you. It has the feel of a coffee table book, because while there are snippets of writing, this is also about the artwork. The colorful characters created by Jim Henson that you saw as puppets in the movie make for great subjects for creative artists.

I did not want to include much artwork from book but this transition page did catch my eye.

And I did feel compelled to include this maze ! Because, well, this is a maze website and it features the characters from the Labyrinth world.

Overall, this is an artist tribute that I would love to see for many different franchises.

While my favorite comic of the 4 was Jim Henson's Labyrinth Tales because of the illustrations, all books are nice, short, fun stories that anyone could enjoy. If you were a fan of the movie (or still are a fan), all 4 are worth a read/look. And if you want to get into longer stories I suggest you check out the 2 longer comic series that have been published:

Jim Henson's Labyrinth (6 issues)

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation (12 issues)

Other blog posts you might like:

The 12 Best Maze and Labyrinth Movies Of All Time

Watchmojo's Best Maze Movie Scenes

How to make over 40 types of maze

Area Maze Book Reviews

Today I bring you a slightly different book review. I have covered what an Area Maze is before in my post about the 44 different types of mazes and labyrinths, but today I will go over it again. Let’s get into the 2 books !

The Original Area Mazes (2017) AMZN ; The Original Area Mazes, Volume 2 (2018) AMZN

from Workman Publishing, 228 Pages ; 201 Pages

by Naoki Inaba, Ryoichi Murakami

Area Mazes - Called a maze, but actually a type of logic puzzle from Japan created by Naoki Inaba. Used to teach Japan children mathematics and logic. Solving requires calculating the area of a rectangle, often multiple times (Area = length × width). Also called Menseki Meiro. If you would like to try to solve some, online area mazes can be found here.

What you need to know about Area Mazes: Each of the mazes is NOT drawn to scale. You cannot measure for an answer. You must use the formula Area = length × width and spatial reasoning to find the answer that you are being asked for. Each book starts with easier problems and gets more difficult as the book continues (ranked Levels 1-5). If you read this book digitally it includes links to see the solution as you move through the book !

Here is an example I made to show how to solve an Area Maze. You are trying to calculate the area of the grey box. Answer and reasoning below.

In the above example you would first solve the wall under the # 12. You solve the equation 4 * Y = 12. So Y = 3, meaning the bottom left side of the square has a length of 3. Now you can solve using the 3 and the 21 to calculate the length of the left side of the square above the 4. Solve 3 * Z = 21. The answer is 7. Continue this to solve the Area Maze. Top right wall =4. Area and answer is thus 4x4=16. How did you do ?

Well, that was a level 1 for sure. Shapes and calculations get very interesting as you get to the later chapters !

If you like Sudoku and similar puzzles, you will love these puzzles ! Excellent 9/10 !

Other blog posts you might like:

Maze books about the spirituality of mazes, or the history of physical mazes.

The 12 Best Maze and Labyrinth Movies Of All Time

Watchmojo's Best Maze Movie Scenes

How to make over 40 types of maze

The Best Books About Mazes and Labyrinths (that aren't actually maze books)

Today I am going to explore maze books. But not the typical puzzle maze books that you sit around and solve. No these are books about the making of those mazes, the math of mazes, the history of mazes, the architecture of hedge mazes and labyrinths, and things like that. Books about mazes. Not maze books. If you are looking for reviews of the spiritual aspect of labyrinths, I have written a post about those books separately. This can make for some complicated advanced searches in the library card catalog (it isn’t a card catalog anymore though is it. It’s an online search catalog.) Hopefully these book reviews will give you an idea of which books you might be interested in as I answer 2 big questions for each book: What I learned in this book, and what this book does best. Let’s get started !

Here are the 9 best books about mazes, labyrinths and their history:

I start with the newest entry to this list, and in my opinion the best overview of Mazes and Labyrinths you can find. If you can find this book, it is a perfect starting place to learn about this subject matter.

Through the labyrinth : designs and meanings over 5000 years (2000) by Hermann Kern 360 pages AMZN

What I learned in this book: So much I was exhausted thinking about writing this.
What I loved about this book: Looks at labyrinths and mazes for perspectives I had never thought of across 19 different themed chapters.

What this book does best: Simply put, this is the best researched book I have found on the subject. Great photos, including many you will not see anywhere else.

The Amazing Book of Mazes by Adrian Fisher 264 pages. AMZN. Adrian Fisher is a great maze designer who pulled together this book showing over 150 maze designs while explaining what makes them unique and important.

What I learned in this book:

• Labyrinths and “real world mazes” have been around for about 4,000 years while puzzle mazes have been around for only 500 years.

• Vertical mazes: Hedge, Panel, Corn (called Maize mazes in the UK), Mirror and Water are the most common types of vertical mazes.

• The first vertical maze in the USA was created in 1805 in Harmony, PA and was made of vines. The oldest surviving maze in the USA is the Vizcaya Maze Garden in Miami , Florida from 1916.

• Hedge mazes were first constructed with small hedges. Not until the late 16th Century did gardeners in England begin using the tall hedges that are standard today.

• Panel mazes, usually made of wood, first appeared in the year 1900 and allowed the maze to be changed daily for multiple unique trips. The maze craze in Japan from 1984-88 consisted of panel mazes.

• The first Corn Maze was developed at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA in 1993. From the time the height is correct until the leaves brown a typical corn maze lasts 4-8 weeks. The advantage of Corn mazes is they can be changed yearly, unlike hedge mazes, which must be taken care of consistently for years.

• In England the crop of corn is actually what Americans would call wheat, so in England they are called Maize Mazes instead of corn mazes.

• The first mirror maze is from Constantinople in 1889. They are a staple of fun houses and tourist areas today.

What I loved about this book: Comprehensive look at real world mazes and their history organized by type.

What this book does best: A great guide to mazes around the world with pictures. A great resource to look deeper into maze design.

Mazes and Labyrinths of The World by Janet Bord 181 pages. AMZN.

What I learned in this book:

• The original labyrinth is thought to be on the island of Crete where Theseus defeated the Minotaur at the center of the Cretan Labyrinth.

• At one time in the UK it was common for doorsteps to have labyrinth or maze drawings on them to keep evil spirits and witches at bay.

• Labyrinths are often linked to death and the passing from the living world to the afterlife

• The story of Icarus I knew was he flew too close to the sun melting the wax of his self made wings despite warnings from his father King Minos. The reason he made those wings was to escape a labyrinth he was imprisoned in.

• Mazes are common in the following forms by country: England, turf; Sweden, stone; France and Italy, church mosaics.

What this book does best: Discusses the history of Mazes and Labyrinths in Europe, especially England.

The Unending Mystery: A Journey Through Labyrinths and Mazes by David W. McCullough 272 pages. AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• The appendix includes step by step examples on how to draw a simple labyrinth and also a classic seven circuit labyrinth

• Leonardo da Vinci notebooks from the 1490’s include the entry “repair the labyrinth” on his to do list

• Caerdroia magazine, edited by Jeff Saward, is a Journal of Mazes and labyrinths that has been published since 1980. This is supported by the website labyrinthos.com a great place to study all types of mazes and labyrinths online.

• The modern use of walking Labyrinths for spiritual practice popularized By Lauren Artress in her 1995 book Walking a Sacred Path (AMZN).

What this book does best: Explores the many reasons people believe labyrinths were used through history, their myths, legends, and rising and waning popularity thru history.

Mazes and Labyrinths by Nigel Pennick 208 pages AMZN

What I learned in this book:

• Labyrinths are built from a nine point pattern

• In India it is common in some parts of the country to see labyrinths painted or drawn in chalk at doorways to homes. This is thought to keep out evil spirits. This is known as kolam.

• In India they also sometimes use a labyrinth as a yantra used for concentration during childbirth. The mother concentrates on solving and unsolving the labyrinth with her eyes as a way to put the mind to work on something other than the pain.

• There are 4 types of simple labyrinths: the simple meander, the complex meander, serpentine, and spiral.

• The path of the famous Hampton Court maze in England was used as the path for the first maze laboratory experiments with rats. Seems like something that would help you in Jeopardy.

What this book does best: Extremely detailed look at mazes from England, with details on exact measurements and map references. It also is good at speaking about theories of why the labyrinth is found across so many places and cultures.

Mazes in Videogames: Meaning Metaphor and Design by Alison Gazzard 183 pages AMZN

The book explores how the paths of mazes and labyrinths found in the real world have influenced the paths a player experiences while exploring and playing videogames.

What I learned in this book:

• There are 6 common path types in video games:

  • Core Path - You have no choice but to move forward on the main path and no decision to make. i.e. like a labyrinth

  • Blind Turn - The core path turns and you cannot see what is around the turn/corner. This creates tension for the walker/player and in games is often where enemies will attack from

  • Forked Path - Where a choice needs to be made to move in one of two possible new directions

  • Multi Forked Path - Where a choice needs to be made to move in one of more than 2 possible new directions

  • Loop backs - A path that after taking it returns you to the place where it started.

  • Loop alongs - A chosen path off the core path that returns to the core path at a point farther on essentially allowing you to skip a portion of the core path.

• In Pac-Man, one of the original maze games, the ghosts acts as moving barriers, making completing the maze dynamic

• Video games and Maze walkers each need to overcome challenges to solve the puzzle. Each may include dead ends, clues, and both will get better with repetition, i.e multiple plays of a level/ multiple walks of the maze.

• Speed runs are a popular way to get into video game record books. Real world mazes sometimes have similar challenges, seeing how fast a person can solve the maze.

What this book does best: Takes a big picture view of how video games present pathways to the player. The different designs encountered and examples of games that best represent the pathways.

Magical Paths: Labyrinths & Mazes in the 21st Century By Jeff Saward 176 pages AMZN

This book is a great overview of the history of mazes and labyrinths. It speaks to the mythology and symbolism of the works from the past through the present day. Great photos and examples. Nice resources in the back with locations of popular mazes and relevant websites.

What I learned in this book:

• From a religious perspective there are 2 main ways to walk a labyrinth.

  • Walk in, arrive at the center, re-trace your steps and walk back out

  • Walk in, arrive at the center, walk across the labyrinth to the alter of the church

• Order matters when reading/reviewing books. Historical learnings from other books are repeated here.

What this book does best: Great pictures (and many pictures) and easy to understand language make this a great first book to look into mazes and labyrinths.

Mazes and Labyrinths: Their History & Development by W.H. Matthews 254 pages AMZN

This is considered by many the first comprehensive modern book that looked at mazes and labyrinths and their history. Every book that has come after this one references it. It was first published in London in 1922.

What I learned in this book:

• To generalize, this is the original book on labyrinth and maze history. The historical details of places in England is extensive and has been used by many other authors. The specific details are meaningless in this context however.

What this book does best: Extensive illustrations of labyrinths and mazes. The cover of the book even speaks to this - “151 illustrations”.

Labyrinths & Mazes by Jurgen Hohmuth 176 pages AMZN

This book is comprised of aerial photographs of labyrinths and mazes from around Europe mixed with information from a variety of experts: Simone Augustin, Adrian Fisher, Klaus Kurvers, Martin Rasper, Jeff Saward, Ilse M Seifred, and Uwe Wolff.

What I learned in this book:

• The book has a long discussion on the possible use of labyrinths as navigation devices for ancient sailors in coastal Sweden and Finland.

• I need to visit Leeds Castle. The castle looks amazing and they have both a maze and labyrinth on site.

• The book includes a detailed map and informational listing on the 55 sites around Europe that were visited. Very helpful to plan a trip.

What this book does best: The pictures here are superior to any other book I have seen. First, the subject matter includes places not typically seen before, and not just the most famous mazes/labyrinths covered in all books on the subject.

Other popular posts you may like:

Maze Comic Book Reviews - 4 different comics about Theseus and the Minotaur

The Surprising Benefits of Solving Mazes

How to make a Digital Maze (40 different types)

How to make a variety of Digital Labyrinths