TOBY and the MAGIC PENCIL

The Story and Writing of Toby #1: Too Much Power, Not Enough Responsibility

Toby and the Magic Pencil story by Gary Dellar and
published by Reverie Comics. The story follows the titular character,
Toby, bequeathed by his artist father. A natural artist at heart, Toby
makes fair use of the pencil until an untoward event propels him into an
untimely adventure.

The story of Toby and the Magic Pencil #1 is one for the ages. It’s
everything that a reader would want in a comic, whatever age bracket
they may be. The trajectory of the story follows a nice, linear path
that follows quite the traditional hero’s journey.

Toby is the epitome of a flawed character. He is smart, independent,
and unbelievably brash. Whilst he has great command of his powers, it
seems that he does not know yet the ramifications of how he acts with
the pencil.

The writing style is a classic, with several periods of rising and
falling plot to create a sense of action and adversity. So far, the call
to adventure is quite tragic, much of it coming from Toby’s
inexperienced reading of the situation. The writing is stellar, but the
narrative has a few problems that needs to be addressed.

I question the value of giving a magic pencil to a child with zero
training on it for starters. The idea of a child-bearing a
reality-warping pencil can be an issue, especially if there are people
ready to nab it from a fence away.

There’s also the part where Toby is, almost literally, responsible
for the death of at least half a dozen sentient beings. He’s thrust upon
a situation where he had many options, only to pick the bad ones at
that. This gives him the ability to learn on the go.

Gareth also seems to be much more sensible and responsible of the two
as well. If not for the former being younger and a little envious, he
would’ve been a better hero too, but that’s besides the point.

The story is solid, with only a couple of unaddressed
inconsistencies. It’s not perfect, but it’s as good as it gets when it
comes to writing these types of first issues. I’m looking towards some
character development for Toby. 

Sure, it’s an Alice in Wonderland-esque story, but it’s not weird to
wish for growth. Apart from that, the writing style is mature and treats
the audience as adults, and I love it.

Should You Read Toby and The Magic Pencil #1?

Should you read Toby and the Magic Pencil #1? Yes! It’s a fantastic
coming of age story with lots of potential. I’m looking forward to
learning what will happen to both Toby and Gareth.

The above is a cut down review of a TOBY and the Magic Pencil #1. The original can be read at comx.net.au. Reviewed by Jerome. Since then the issue has been redrawn for a Kickstarter and the overseas market.

Here is a extract from the first issue of TOBY and the MAGIC PENCIL #1 with art by BEN Sullivan.