
Image Comics 2018
Created & Written by Cullen Bunn
Created & Illustrated by Mark Torres
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Dan's daughter Grace is a very special child. The dead grow restless around her, drawn to the girl like moths to a flame. Where the dead move, the air grows painfully cold. A curse or a gift, Grace's connection to the dead grows stronger—and as it does, so too does the life-sapping cold of a supernatural winter.
Good grief Charlie Brown this is the stuff nightmares are made of and should give the readers that shivering down their spine. Cullen really has emerged as the pre-eminent horror writer in comics today and with the field as crowded with good talent like it is that’s something indeed. The work he’s doing here with Mark is some of the most unexpectedly remarkable work I have seen in a while and with everything else he’s also currently writing that’s saying something.
We left off last issue with Dan having taken out the goons with the help of some ghosts, who were called upon to help him by his daughter. She understands a lot more of what’s going on then she shows and while she isn’t or hasn’t spoken well I kind of like it since it really does add the mystique of her and what she is and why she appears so Catatonic or Waxy Flexibility. She is a strange little girl and okay I can see her being a witch or something more and regardless of what she is she is the enigma that is holding the entire story together.
The way that this is structured is incredibly well done. We are also finally seeing Henrietta be assertive and show her true nasty colours. Why also see why they gave them shelter to begin with which was something we wanted to learn in the first place. Still that Alyssa trusted them way too quickly is something I am surprised at even with the circumstances under which were there. After all she hadn’t really been kidnapped or anything she was running from him on purpose so I have a hard time believing she would be so trusting of anyone if she couldn’t trust her father. Now if this was orchestrated that’s another story and one I couldn’t discount right now but we’ll wait to see how things keep going.
The interiors here are so freaking amazing. The first panel of the first page shows you everything you need to know about just how damn good Mark is. I adore the dark brooding feel that the interiors provide because eve when it’s in an area of light the tensions and the horror still shine through with such intensity. The faces of these people are superbly done and I am a big proponent of thinking if you can bring faces to life, give them emotions and let readers feel it then you have some talent. The creativity and imagination on display here is sensational page six oh my god yeah damn, then the way ghosts are portrayed and how we see the city too all of it is spot on. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off a great eye for storytelling. I love the colours throughout and honestly Mark is amazing at what he does.
If Cullen were a god I’d worship him, if I could I’d have his baby I mean this man is so so talented that it boggles the mind. With some sensational characterisation, excellent plot & story advancement alongside some absolutely stellar interior artwork make this one of the best modern throwback horror stories to come out in a very long time.