Amigo Comics 2018
Written by El Torres
Illustrated by Juanma Canada Aguilera & Rodrigo Zayas
Coloured by Juanma Canada Aguilera
Lettered by Monkey Typers
Horror runs through the sewers of the Victorian London! The escaped Drood is looking for allies in his war against Professor Hawke. Inspector Forrester continues his inquiries into the mass murder. Meanwhile, the old magician and his assistant try to find some trace of the missing Miss Grantley... if the Intruders from the Other Side don't kill them first!
I am enjoying this so very much as the writing has that Gothic sense of horror where it’s more about the romanticism that comes with the horror, in this case ghosts, the outer fiends and the old friendships, in polite terms. There really is a great sense danger and arrogance mixed together, what a scent that would make to be marketed, here that honestly entices me to at the very least anticipate what I am going to see next.
The way that this is structured is extremely well done and the overall flow of the book and how it just seems to move at this great pace. Not to mention the fact that when the story transitions between characters and places you don’t even really notice the change and that kind expertise is hard to come by. The way the characters are shown and/or introduced to us here is exceptionally well done and I love the tropes and types of folks we meet. The two coppers following the Professor and Tommy are fantastic in what they represent and well the Professor and Tommy yeah they could definitely star in their own solo book.
So along with all this El Torres manages to bring some bloody marvellous characterisation to these folks. There is no question about people, their intentions and their allegiance here and that’s all seen right through their dialogue which leads of course to actions. El Torres is one of those voice in the industry that most people would say his name sounds familiar but it stops there which is a shame because he really is among the best writers in the business, which is why Amigo is so successful in my eyes.
I am totally in love the interiors here! The attention to detail is astounding and the fact that houses, bricks and the walkways all have the same intensity and dedication to detail showcase someone who understand how to use the entire panel to expand the story, the moment and bring us a size and scope to the book. Also I love the representation of the ghosts here and how they seen visually here, yeah I almost said brought to life lol. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective showcase a stupendous eye for storytelling. The way backgrounds are utilised I mentioned earlier but sigh the entire package here with the colour work really is some top class work.
Growing up my cousins used to put on horror films before I went to bed, when we’d visit I'd sleep on the floor between their beds, knowing full well I'd watch em and they’d scare the hell out of me which apparently was fun for a lot of relatives of mine. So began my love of horror and the one that I have never forgotten is the Monkey’s Paw, I’m not sure which it was but it was more likely to be the 1948 version regardless that left an impression on me that lasts through today. I love that I can read this title and remember my times watching those classic horror films. The memories they evoke and make in the now are priceless to me.
Amigo really is home to some of the most intelligent horror series that you will find in comics today. Regardless of which era they decide to feature one thing remains the same the work is exceptional.