Mezolith

Mezolith is a example of the unexpected breadth and variety of strips that appeared in The DFC comic. I can't think of anything to compare it to. It might not have been immediately appealing to many readers reading the short stories in installments as even intense little fragments of a story fade from the memory over a fortnight; in book form the richly complex story builds with each chapter allowing the reader to immerse themself in the world of Poika and the ancient tribe to which he belongs.

Set 10,000 years ago, the Kansa tribe live on the western shores of the North Sea Basin. The tribe faces daily dangers both natural and (stone-age) man-made as they hunt, face death and find love. On the verge of manhood, Poika is desperate to take that final step and his rashness may endanger the whole tribe; through a series of adventures, each in its way a rite of passage, he begins to learn the wisdom and maturity of his elders. As we learn more about Poika we also get to visit the myths and folklore of his tribe.

Beautifully illustrated by Adam Brockbank, Mezolith is not an adventure story, although there is action, nor a horror story, although there is fantasy and mysticism and the supernatural; it weaves genre together in a blend of the spiritual and magical to create a uniquely haunting story.

Mezolith by Ben Haggarty & Adam Brockbank. David Fickling Books ISBN 978-0385618267, 1 April 2010.