
BlackBox Comics 2019
Written by Kevin Grevioux
Illustrated by Jonathan Lau
Coloured by Adriano Augusto
Lettered by Dezi Sienty
Against his better judgement, Donovan gets further into the FBI case, but will he be able to help?
So there are a number of reasons to really like this book. Kevin is an amazing storyteller and he has this smart, intelligent way of approaching the stories he writes. So the layers that we see here is sensational and how many there are of them how any one of them can lead to diverting arc of it's own. Also we are treated to this weird family dynamic which is only emphasised as a father figure can. Add into this the way we see the story & plot development reveal information and show a few revelations and we begin to see the bits and pieces of what is going to make this as eerie as it needs to be.
The character development here is fantastic and it's really because Kevin understands that communication and dynamic is what truly gets that across. So the dialogue is superb and it doesn't who is speaking what we get from it is this nice understanding of their base personality. That starting point we need that has those gaps in it and allow that room for growth and evolution as the story moves forward. When you add the pacing to the book it not only gives this great ebb & flow from everything but it also highlights the twists and turns that story takes and are thrown at the characters. So overall everything we see is so well thought out that it makes the reader really want to see and know more.
How is it that no one in this book mentions who his name is? His partner Agent Ledeux or their boss no one mentions him by name and I find that fascinating and frustrating as all get out. I will say I like how we see the whole Psycho List as the series title come into play here though. All in all how we see the folks we are introduced to here is really rather well done. They fit into that specific moment of the story and have this very natural feel to it. When you read this you feel the angst and conflict within the characters and how the nature of the story is going to push those to the breaking point and beyond.
I love Jonathan's work I think man is amazing at what he does. The way that he is able to utilise the varying weights within the linework while showing a strong and steady hand when he's bringing out his amazing attention to detail. The composition within the panels is mindbogglingly good and how he manages to create the angles, depth perception, scope and perspective in the panels shows why he has such a stupendous eye for storytelling. The desktop scene was one of those intense moments that seems to sum up his work in one shot. When you add Adriano's colour work to the mix he is able to take the linework to the next level. To be able to take a white button down dress shirt and be able to utilise the various hues and tones to create shading and shadows that's just another incredible wow moment. We have to add Dezi into this as well you'll notice why and how what he does to enhance this in his own ways.
With the interiors adding an extra level of characterisation that the words cannot do, while also working in the moment with the writing just keeps showing how professional and astounding the book is at only issue #2. There is a smouldering intensity lying just beneath the surface here and it's waiting for the right time to burst through. With a lot of different factors at play here Kevin manages to engage the reader taking them off-script and become incredibly invested in the book. This is how a new line should be launching books, slowly and with good, hard, solid work that leaves such an impression upon the reader.