I’ve been struggling to decide how I feel about the recent fantasy mini-series Maestros; I’m not sure if it’s so offensive that it’s brilliant, or whether it’s so offensive that it’s just really really offensive.
The 7-issues from earlier this year are the most recent offering from Steve Skroce, whose day job is as concept artist for such Hollywood blockbusters as The Matrix trilogy. I’ve previously seen him provide artwork for Doc Frankenstein (written by the Wachowski siblings) and We Stand On Guard (written by Brian K Vaughn); both of which showcased his distinctive designs and highly detailed world-building. Here Skroce is pulling double duty as both the artist and writer, so his particular brand of visual insanity is given full reign to run wild.
It’s a high-fantasy plot, seeing everyman hero Willy with big shoes to fill when his father, the titular Maestros, and leader of the magical kingdom of Zainon, is brutally murdered, and Willy must leave his life in our world to fill the vacant post and attempt to bring peace to the embattled realm. Skroce’s script is fairly heavy going to start with, having a lot of expository dialogue early on, but by the third issue, the plot kicks into high gear and the series comes into itself.
Skroce’s skills in design and storytelling are put to full use with some truly gruesome (and sometimes blackly hilarious) sequences of ultra-violence. Not to be out-done in terms of shock, the script also teeters on the boundary between wit and outright vulgarity. Whether you’ll enjoy all this probably comes down to your view of the male power fantasy that is being pastiched here. Magical penis enlargement is a recurring joke; the only female characters are present to enable the male hero to succeed his father; oh yeah, and once again, the main character is called ‘Willy’.
Gloriously un-PC, or poorly timed and regressive; the craft on display here is still good enough to recommend that you give it a read and make up your own minds.