Nothing Special — Webcomic wraps the fantasy fun in final volume

Review by C.J. Bunce

Webcomic writer-artist Katie Cook introduced readers to fantasy characters Callie, Declan, Lasser, and Radish in her series Nothing Special, a comic that could have been just another fantasy quest tale. But despite the title there is plenty special about the series. The worldbuilding takes readers on a ride through some truly new ideas, blending classic tropes with some not-too-old, not-too-new pop culture references. Ten Speed Press has collected both “seasons” of the webcomic into more than a thousand pages in three volumes. We reviewed Volume 1 here and Volume 2 here at borg and loved the humor and the art. Now Volume 3 has arrived, Nothing Special Volume Three: Pride and Pompousness (available here at Amazon), and everything comes together in a story that gets only better with each panel.

Take a look inside at a big 18-page preview below courtesy of the publisher.

These are characters you’re going to miss after the final page. It all began with teenager Callie and her father as she encountered a newfound world of fantasy and magic. Then Callie befriended and soon grew closer to Declan, a boy with wings uncertain about who he is (he’s also a sucker for a girl who appreciates a good Star Wars reference). Lasser joined in as the new friend, and all the while the ghost of a radish flits about, responsible for a good share of the laugh-out-loud bits. Radish is even better this round, and writer Katie Cook’s comedy comes to the fore with bigger laughs after settling into this world and her characters’ voices for so many comic panels.

That same The Lord of the Rings meets The Wizard of Oz realm is all here in bright colors and a whirly design style that teen readers (and older readers) will love. In Volume 3 all the friends find themselves in a big fantasy romance romp. The focus this time, as with the second volume, is on Callie’s boyfriend, the fairy Declan.

I didn’t find this story arc as dark or serious as the earlier books, with Cook leaning more into the fun. Declan learns his grandmother, Laurel Poppyfield, matriarch of the fairy Poppyfield family, is dying. She holds the majority of the family magic, and she is known by everyone everywhere–a big deal with wealth and power as seen in this fantasy world. It turns out she can pass all this magic to whomever she wants and surprise–this bestows it all on her newfound grandson Declan.

Yes, Declan is a royal, and as he seems to have someone help repair one of his wings, he encounters Lasser’s older brother Leir, who has other plans for the inherited wealth, as Laurel’s last day arrives.

Cook’s tucked-in sidebar messages to the reader are full of good tidbits, historical notes for the characters, and character thoughts, and they are all cleverly applied.

Declan learns more about his fairy roots. Callie is reunited again with her father. Lasser gets to face off with his brother. And Radish, Callie’s loyal floating vegetable spirit sidekick, gets to be a great hero as friends come together to save magic and save each other.

As in the prior volumes, readers are reminded to pay attention to every corner of every panel. You may find messages–and good humor–everywhere.

Cook previously wrote for IDW Publishing’s My Little Pony series, and this story will certainly appeal to fans of that series and those a bit older. The thick 380-page hardcover format makes for the ultimate finale for this lovely storybook series.