Last year here at BF we looked at Bigger, a previous minicomic from 2024 Broken Frontier ‘Six to Watch’ artist Mike Armstrong, and one that in thematic terms used fantasy visuals to echo more universal experiences in a similar way to today’s review subject Span. That previous tale of a young boy and the monster in the woods that he befriended examined ideas of friendship, loss and the cycle of time. It was beautifully constructed and undeniably touching; the work of a cartoonist with an innate ability to pull at the heartstrings of his audience but without mawkishness or awkward sentimentality.
In Span Armstrong again takes us back to a woodland setting but this time it is a world of forest spirits who live high in the treetops. Their interactions with each other are made possible by the bridges they build across the canopy of trees, allowing them to interact and form relationships. We follow one particular couple as they meet, court, and fall in and out of love again.
As a premise that may not seem especially involved but the cleverness of Span is all in the presentation. Initially the forest environs are presented in gloomy black, white and grey shades. But as our couple begin their acquaintance colour slowly seeps in to represent their burgeoning love. At first it’s playful and teasing, then solid and reliable, before an intense use of red hues emphasises a fraught turn of events.
It’s all, of course, an extended visual metaphor with the initial building of the bridge between the couple’s homes symbolising the formation of their relationship and the thoughtful application of colour embodying both emotional bonds and an eventual fracturing of their coupling. Armstrong is so accomplished at this kind of storytelling, using comics allegory to tap into feelings and experiences that we all recognise. Finding the familiar in the fantasy has become his forte. Span is a truly outstanding use of those unique tools of comics from a creator who deserves far more recognition. If Armstrong keeps producing work like Span then that kind of acclaim will surely be surrounding his comics far sooner than later.
Mike Armstrong (W/A) • Self-published, £2.00+ (print)/£1.00 (digital)
Review by Andy Oliver
