Elsewhere is a fantasy adventure that sets itself apart by setting itself in the world of Korvath, where well-known individuals from Earth’s history have found themselves roaming the countryside- individuals such as Amelia Earhart, with whom our story begins. Amelia teams up with two of Korvath’s native denizens, Cort and Tavel, who have just escaped the fortress of the evil Lord Kragen, where she hopes to find her co-pilot Fred.
The story stays fast-paced and tries to keep the reader engaged by allowing them to discover Korvath as Amelia does. The constant action may eventually make it difficult for readers to keep up with the various plot threads- who are Cort and Tavel, why did they have to escape the fortress, who is Lord Kragen and why does he want Amelia’s plane, how did Amelia get to Korvath in the first place. However, writer Jay Faerber seems to be maintaining and good balance between these interwoven storylines, and has a great hook at the end of the issue to keep readers coming back for #2.
Turkish artist Sumeyye Kesgin creates a visually engaging fantasy world, with some environmental and faunal elements vaguely reminiscent of Pandora from Avatar. Her depiction of Amelia Earhart is not an exact likeness to her real-world counterpart- it’s been “prettified”, with fuller lashes and lips, but then, it can be difficult to make true-to-life depictions as animated and emotional (see basically all Firefly comics). Kesgin certainly doesn’t have this problem, as her characters are very dynamic and the action flows smoothly and easily through the panels.
If you’re a fan of fantasy AND real life mysteries like the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, Elsewhere is definitely worth a read.