Alterna Comics 2018
Created & Written by Garrett Gunn
Illustrated by Saint Yak
Coloured by Sean Forney
Lettered by HdE
Now seeking a life of peace, "Slade the Blade" used to be one of the deadliest men in the New West. But when his family is brutally murdered, Slade embarks on one of the grimmest, grittiest, and goriest tales of revenge that the world has ever seen.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! I’m a fan of the little guy we all know that and the fact that Alterna puts their line of books out in newsprint and only charges a $1.50 and issue should be reasons enough that everyone should be buying their titles. This one has sold out at Diamond level so if you haven’t gotten one at your store or through your subscription service and they don’t have any tell them to contact Alterna directly they’ll make sure you get one or you go here-- https://www.alternacomics.com/
I was really taken with this book. From the moment you see the stunning cover you have to pick this up. The premise is kind of familiar, man loses family man seeks revenge so what about this will stand out from the crowd? Well the way it’s told for one thing Garrett manages to really get you as he’s able to convey Slade’s feelings, emotions and get us involved in them. The narration that opens the book as we go through the house till we finally see him has this soothing effect.
Saint has this beautiful eye for storytelling and in how we see the house as we meander to Slade it’s almost inexplicable the impact it has upon you. It does so much to put some serious characterisation into the character narrating the story. As he thinks the narration to himself we see the after effects of that which is what he now feels. The solitude and loneliness that he feels is palpable because of the work we see here. The use of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels showcase a rising star’s eye for storytelling. The way backgrounds are utilised and how they come across in this aged kind of way that’s reminiscent of frontier homes really does hammer home the futuristic old west setting.
Then there are the splotches of colour that we see used in this judicious way that highlights moments in time which are important for the reader to see. Then just the fact that the colour isn’t saturated and how it’s used on the page is masterful with the bleeds and multi-tonal effects just kind of take you by surprise at how damn good they are.
Once we’ve gotten to know Slade and see what his intentions are the journey begins. Shedding the last remnants of his present and moving towards the future. The whole thing is like an emotional punch to the gut. Trading a horse for a motorcycle and the barren countryside do the old west them justice and seeing the men by a campfire does likewise. Welcome to the journey that is a mixture of justice and revenge as Slade sets out using the skills of his past to avenge the death of his family.
A tale as old as time and yeah it feels like it originated in the old west, had this been a city it would be about an assassin as it stands this way is much more dramatic and effective. We can easily connect on a personal level to Slade, who met the love of his life and changed for the better. He put the past beside him and began anew and we all want to think we’d do the same for the right person. That love which is so strong it gets a man to soften and change the course of his life it is that fairytale dream so many have.
This is some of the best storytelling and how the words and illustrations work in concert with each other put this in a league of it’s own.