Zenescope Entertainment 2015
Written by Marco Lopez
Illustrated by Roger Bonet
Coloured by Sonia Moruno
Lettered by Fabio Amelia
It is ingrained in our minds to be wary of strangers. Travelers often tell tales of hitchhikers with sinister intentions. In this spin on a classic urban legend, a hitchhiker in desperate need of a ride may find himself in for more than he bargained when he stops at a 24-hour diner.
Lately I seem to be singing when I start writing reviews, they are of course based on the story so here I sit singing Highway to Hell. There’s one thing about this issue that we’re back to that isn’t among my favourite aspects. Keres is back as a key figure and storyteller here. I think that kind of detracts from the amount of time that could be better spent with the actual story. In this case maybe actually seeing what our wayward driver has actually done in his past that caused him to experience his current events. Yes the innuendo is there and we’ll just assume he’s guilty of he wouldn’t be going through this and yet part of wishes we’d get actually get to see it.
I do like the way the story however is told. That he sees a woman in the middle of the road, swerves to miss her and ends up in a ditch. For that part is kind of cool and having to go to a nearby diner to wait for a tow truck well that’s just everyday stuff. It’s what happens after that however that makes this more akin to a horror story.
Now had Keres’ story been about the girls this man had sexually molested when he picked them up hitchhiking instead of a random story I might have been inclined to accept it more. Or if it had been about the men who did that to this poor girl in the story and we’d seen the events unfold as she torments them and makes them see things that aren’t there well that was trippy and interesting. But the story as a whole felt disjointed or disconnected not enough time spent on either one to really be effective.
Had this been a giant or double sized issue then things could’ve been told more coherently. Because the interest is raised it’s just not fulfilled. Then after that story is told we’re back to the guy at the diner who apparently falls asleep at the counter has a bad dream and that’s all thanks to his guilty conscience.
The best thing about this issue is seeing the interior artwork. Roger and Sonia do a lot of great things with the story visually. That so many panels are utilised with the use of backgrounds really helps to complete the bigger picture of where they are at and what’s going on around them. The flow through the pages and panels are done very well. The attention to detail throughout is wonderful to see and the creativity in those “scary” scenes are completely realised to their full effect. I’m digging this Roger’s linework and with Sonia colouring it, completing it it has that desired result.
This series is hit or miss with the single issues this one is in the middle because it has that good interest factor and great interiors but it isn’t fully realised as one story in the issue could’ve made it.