
Image Comics 2016
Written by Simon Spurrier
Illustrated by Ryan Kelly
Ink Assists by Barbara Guttman
Coloured by Nick Filardi --London
Lee Loughridge --The Red Place
Matt Wilson--Afghanistan
...IN LONDON street musician Louise Canton was savaged by a ghostly hound ...IN AFGHANISTAN she travelled with supernatural soldiers to lift the creature’s curse ...IN THE RED PLACE she’s the captive of the rogue monstress she came to kill.
I’m more than a little fascinated by this series. This in large part to the way Simon is writing it. Sometimes with three distinct story arcs going on simultaneously there’s a good chance it could get a tad muddy but not here. Granted it helps that each one is colour coded so it’s easier to identify which is which but still even without it there’s no mistaking which one you’re reading. Plus the way Simon is able to weave the story throughout the different arcs keeps the reader’s interest piqued in ways that may surprise you.
I’ll be the first to admit I have no idea how Lou has been captured, we haven’t seen that part yet, but she’s in a cage and being treated harshly. Her captor is the woman i’m going to assume they’ve been sent after and I gotta say what Ryan does with all this is incredible. It’s eye catching, fabulous, creepy and it’s so powerful you just can’t look away. I mean I stared at that womans face just captivated by what I saw. This makes the Red Place one of those where the true horror lies and I keep expecting something from Hostel to happen. Kind of gives ya the chills it’s so good.
Meanwhile when we hit Afghanistan and see and the soldiers it’s a learning experience. Not all of them are the same which I found both fascinating and weird. I like that this world has a variety beings in it. Oh and yeah I also love the humour infused in this as well as it’s unexpected, kinda dirty and fully entertaining. Ottar being from Iceland yeah he’s already a favourite of mine after this issue. The characterization given to him is absolutely amazing! From what we see here there’s no doubt in my mind that is has jumped up into my favorites list and it’s one I don’t think i’ll be able to get enough of.
Ironically the Blue London sequences is both the one with the most potential and right now the weakest link. Sure it’s heating up what with others coming out of the woodwork letting Lou know she’s not alone but she’s completely clueless about what’s happening and that’s wonderfully scary. The fight with her girlfriend adds to the whole what the heck is happening to me stuff. As we see more it’ll strengthen this segment and lead up to her trip to Afghanistan and i’m waiting for that otherwise it’s good for showcasing how not driven she is. Kind of a slacker with no real motivation. It’s pretty amazing when I think the weakest link has some absolute great stuff in it.
I’m over the moon thrilled by this series, how it’s being told and by Ryan’s ability to bring it all to life. This is so current with what’s popular but it takes that supernatural aspect and amps it up in ways even steroids couldn’t compete with.