TAZ STORY AND SONG GN SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Ok criticism first: when they first announced that this would be the final installment combining the stolen century and story and song into one book I was skeptical but figured "yeah I think that might work"
and I was wrong!!! they should have been two separate books. the stolen century is imperative to understand the bonds between the characters, their motivations, what makes them who they are now.
where was the first church of fungsten? magnus learning to ask for help with the power bear fight? taako learning how to speak to the mongeese? the moral and ethical argument in the robot world, which established where lup would draw the line and foreshadowed her emotional turmoil with the relics?
we got no slow burn with blupjeans, almost no bonding between taako and barry. I could have used at least another page depicting taako's anxiety about the lich ritual, and a whole chapter for the judges. I wish we could have spent more time in the legato conservatory too, and we barely got any time with Magnus and Fisher.
I knew the stolen century would be very difficult to adapt into graphic novel form while keeping it engaging for readers but I really feel like a lot of important character moments were sacrificed in adaptation.
criticism over!!! now for the things I liked: with all the things I was excited to see in this book, I had completely forgotten about john! every scene we got with john was so well written, so well composed, and so beautifully colored. I was engaged with every panel. he's such a fascinating character to me and I'm glad we got so much of him. merle's interactions with him were spot on and made their interactions post stolen century all the more devastating.
I was really sad we didn't get Joaquin in Story and Song but I liked how they gave us a scene with taako and early-transition lup instead and connected it to the bonds. It felt like a more grounded way to boost taako's powers while also building up to the big bond engine scene in the final battle.
that brings me to lup!!!!! my wife my love my girliepop. hot damn she's everything i ever wanted. God bless Carey for drawing her so perfectly every time, I was grinning every time she said or did anything. I love how she's emotionally so much more open and affectionate than taako, and you can tell that's she's the other half he's been missing. She balances out his energy in this incredible way that Carey managed to capture perfectly on every page. I still wish they hadn't been forced to recolor taako and lup while developing the books because I just think blue lup looks Wrong but I digress.
yes I did squeal with glee every time kravitz was on the page. yes I did hunt for him in every group shot. yes I am so glad we got so many taakitz smoochies!!!!! And I LOVE lup's reaper design and how she and kravitz are becoming friends!!!!!! More please!!!!!
I am suing the McElroys and Carey for Magnus' death scene. I never cry with books. I cried with this one. holy shit just fucking shoot me next time it'll hurt less.
and finally, lucretia. Boy howdy did this book make me feel some type of way about her. I LOVE how her relationship with taako was written. The tension between their century long bond and her betrayal, taako's anger with her conflicting with their deep friendship and their lasting bond, THAT'S the good shit. that's the shit I sought out in fanfiction for years. I was delighted to see it written so well.
in conclusion, they should have been separated, but I loved it anyway. 3/5 for stolen century, 10/5 for story and song
