Return to Labyrinth

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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A four-part OEL Manga written by Jake Forbes, which is a direct Sequel to the Cult Classic film Labyrinth. The first volume was released in August 2006 and the fourth in August 2010.

The plot follows a 16-year-old Toby, whose life has been pretty much ruined by Jareth and his goblin cronies giving him everything he wanted. When his homework is stolen by a small goblin, Toby finds himself in the Labyrinth, where hijinks and adventures give way to Toby having to come to terms to actually living within the Labyrinth, finding friends (and not pissing them off) and somehow figuring out what to do about Lady Mizumi, the Queen of Cups, and her disturbing daughters Moulin and Drumlin...

Tropes used in Return to Labyrinth include:
  • Abusive Parents: Toby's mother isn't much nicer to her son than she was to her stepdaughter, and the dad seems neglectful.
    • In volume 3, Mizumi absorbs Drumlin for almost messing up her plans, and locks up Moulin; in volume 4, Mizumi resorts to Offing the Offspring.
  • And You Were There: There's a girl in Toby's school who resembles Moulin.
    • The fact from the Labyrinth novelization, that the man Sarah's mother ran off with resembled Jareth, is alluded to.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: For the past fifteen years, Toby has been getting everything he wished for (a new bike, the lead role in the school play, the correct answers on his test, etc.), and as a result has gotten into trouble with his parents, teachers, and fellow students.
  • Bishonen: Jake Forbes actually referred to Jareth as one. Also Toby, especially on the covers. That's not a girl in the trope page picture.
  • Bittersweet Ending
  • Blessed with Suck: When Toby is forced into being the Goblin King.
  • Bookworm: Moulin
  • Cameo: Uncle Traveling Matt from Fraggle Rock, and the devils from "The Soldier and Death".
  • Covers Always Lie: The cover artwork is done by Kouyu Shurei, author of the manga series Alichino. The inner art is noticeably... different in style.
  • Cool Mask: Moppet always wears one, to make her look more like a goblin. It's modeled after the masks in the ball sequence in the film.
  • Cuteness Proximity: Moppet: (to water lion) Pretty! Come to play?! Heehee! (cute smile)
  • Dream Within a Dream: Moppet gets trapped into Jareth's dream-trap
  • Eccentric Townsfolk: Hoo boy, you better believe it.
  • Evil Overlooker: Mizumi on the covers of Volumes 2 and 3.
  • God Save Us From the Queen: Mizumi
  • Growing Up Sucks: Played with. Sarah has given up stage acting to become an English teacher and no longer remembers her adventure in the Labyrinth. At first it seems to be because of this trope, even according to Sarah herself. However, it's really because of her Literal Split Personality - at least it appears as such to begin with. Soon it becomes clear that Sarah willingly let go of her dreams, though; Jareth only made her decision permanent.
  • Hulk Speak: Strangely enough, Skub, though a wimpy and small goblin, speaks like this.
  • Hurricane of Puns: WHY WAS THIS NOT THE VERY FIRST TROPE LISTED HERE! HEADS WILL ROLL! ALONG WITH THIS LETTUCE!
    • Goblins are very fond of this.
    • Brought to a head in the last Volume. Esker has frozen the ground under Moulin:
      • Esker: I hope you're not getting cold feet.
      • Moulin: You've been in the Goblin Kingdom too long, you're starting to pun!
      • Esker: NOOOOOOOOOO!
  • Idiot Hero: Toby, sometimes.
  • I Owe You My Life: Why Moppet works for Spittledrum.
  • It's All About Me: Jareth, very much so.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Most of the goblins, actually, though Spittledrum is probably the one that has the most exposure.
  • Literal Split Personality: Moppet is actually a piece of Sarah's personality, and Moulin and Drumlin are pieces of Mizumi's.
  • Luke, I Am Your Father: Esker pretends to be another of Mizumi's ablations, calling Moulin "sister" - but only to get her off her guard.
  • Making a Splash: Mizumi and her daughters' powers revolve around water, as do those of her personal huntsman/bodyguard Esker.
  • Meaningful Name: "Mizu" is Japanese for "water". "Hana" means "flower" in the same language. A moulin is a hole through which water enters a glacier, and a drumlin is a kind of hill formed by glacial action. An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel in a glacial region.
  • Monster Town: The Labyrinth, of course.
  • My Name Is Not Durwood: Mayor Spittledrum, this time. Jareth keeps getting his name wrong. Toby doesn't, which he appreciates.
  • Our Fairies Are Different: Hana is even different from the fairies depicted in the original film.
  • Personal Raincloud: Moulin has one (with a face) constantly around her, which she keeps off with an umbrella.
  • Promotion to Parent: Sarah for Toby, despite their father and Toby's mother/Sarah's stepmother being present.
  • Shout-Out: Hana wonders if Toby got his wings ripped off, but then corrects herself with, "Oh, of course not. You're a boy."
  • Stalker with a Crush: Jareth to Sarah, still.
  • Tarot Motifs: Mizumi's title, the Queen of Cups.
  • Truly Single Parent: Mizumi.
  • Villain Song: Despite this being a manga, Jareth manages to get "Shadows of a Dream" in.
  • Villainous Glutton: Drumlin.
  • White-Haired Pretty Girl: Mizumi is a more mature and evil version. Volume 4 indicates she wasn't nice when she was younger, either - though she is more sympathetic than she first appears.
  • Woman Scorned: Mizumi, by Jareth.
  • You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Moulin and Drumlin have blue hair.
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