“Well, let me put it this way… if the past could be changed, do you really think the world would be like this?”
It’s been a while since Mike and Alex have tackled time travel (you have to go all the way back to the very first book they covered, Paper Girls), and it felt overdue in returning to the concept. So inn this season of Storied Arcs, they’re diving into Image Comics’ Time Before Time from Declan Shalvey, Rory McConville, and Joe Palmer with the first two trade paperback volumes (issues #1-5 and #7-11). The guys do their best to break down the various time jumps while not losing track of what the “present” time of the book is. They also examine the world that’s being created for the reader, from the rules that govern their version of time travel (closed loop system, technology doesn’t travel, etc.) to trying to decipher why the future is so bad, you’d indenture yourself to a crime syndicate just to escape it. And before they wrap up their discussion, they highlight some of their standout storytelling elements, from the artwork to the coloring to the letters.
The end of Volume 2 really sets the story in motion, perhaps more so than the end of Volume 1, so we’re ready to dive right into our next discussion. Find Time Before Time Volumes 3 and 4 (issues #13-17 and #19-23) wherever you get your comics and we’ll you see you back here next week!