Aftershock Comics 2016
Created & Written by Joe Pruett
Created & Illustrated by Szymon Kudranski
Coloured by Guy Major
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
As we discover more about Meredith and Ricky’s past together and their mysterious connection to the B.E.K. Boy King, Meredith realizes it’s now or never and plans her escape. Meanwhile, the mysterious stranger returns...but this time he’s not alone.
This is for me among the best series of 2016! What Joe and Szymon have done with this is take horror to new levels and while we sit here riveted to the pages we’re still completely in the dark as to what the Boy King’s motives really are. This really is creepy as all get out as this army of kids are being taken over with the intermittent actions they’ve taken. Joe’s been able to really pace this and bring us different sides of things at just the right moments to keep our interest at that perfect level.
This issue we get a really good look at Gus and what he was thinking when the girl claiming to be his daughter showed up to bring him to the Boy King. I thought the way that was done and how Gus was able to leave the others for this was extremely well done. It certainly made me wonder what the heck he was thinking and i’m really glad that Joe has it all playing out the way it does. Plus the other revelations that occur here well let’s just say that we’ve known there was more to Gus than met the eye but we’re finally getting to see what has been behind the curtain and i’m even more fascinated!
I think a large part of why this is so darn creepy is because of the way Szymon and Guy make it all come across on the page. With great use of page layouts through angles, perspective and the use of backgrounds not to mention the darkness that permeates the colouring what we see here has both this incredible tension and emotion.
I have to say though I really wasn’t expecting to see Michael talking to Officer Randy Jones this issue, okay spoiler alert. I mean after Michael was talking to his sister and things got weird there this wasn’t a route I honestly expected. I think that Joe can keep throwing these kind of curves at us throughout keep us on our toes. I like the way that things aren’t always what they seem and that the Boy King may not be as ready as he believes.
I’ve praised this before and I will until the series ends because this is what nightmares are made of. An unseen type force takes over children turning them into a hive mind of cold and emotionless killers. Yeah this is not your typical material and then there’s the families that are affected by these events and those who know what is going on being hunted and eliminated while trying to stay one step ahead.
The blend of action/adventure and horror here make this one of today’s most well thought out and executed series on stands today!