Markosia Enterprises 2020
By Steven A. Ross
A young man finds himself in a strange and hostile alien world. Alone and afraid, he is witness to a myriad of horrors before being led to a startling discovery. A discovery that would have consequences beyond imagining.
Folks there is a reason I love Markosia and the comics that they put out. They may be a small press publishing house but they are extremely mighty. Much like they Boudica on the battlefield Markosia is definitely a contender when it comes to quality books with high levels of storytelling. This one is as cerebral as it is hauntingly beautiful and it captures the readers’ mind, imagination and engages the mind in truly imaginative ways. It is books like this that reignite that mysterious passion where you find yourself lost in the story and have absolutely not one single idea what the hell is going on. This is what you need to make sure you find, order from your shop or Markosia themselves because this is one of those things that will make you happy for many hours/days afterward.
I love the way that this is being told. How we see the story & plot development unfold through the sequence of events and how the reader learns information is really nicely laid out. Right from the opening we are drawn into this in some surprising ways that make you want to see and know more. It’s a gorgeous sequence and it does more than what is asked for. The character development is interesting as well here since we really are getting to know one particular character better than others. I like how nothing is really defined but hinted at and suggested through the actions they take and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter. The pacing is superb! As it takes us through the pages revealing this nightmarish landscape we are enthralled the entire way through. The way that we see how the book is structured as well as how everything works together to create the ebb & flow for the story is wonderfully presented.
I am loving this for a myriad of reasons but at the end of the day when it comes down to it it’s all about the story. I have the vaguest sensation of what is going on and what will occur but I could be completely off base and it’s that element that drives us to come back for more, or to re-read for the umpteenth time to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
The interiors here really are utterly gorgeous. We see this digital painting happening here, okay assumption but I am getting pretty good at spotting the difference, and yet the attention to detail within the book is bloody marvellous. For one of the rare occasions you will hear me say I don’t mind the lack of backgrounds here. This green haze that has so many different hues and tones within it feels like this kind of fog which just increases the creepy factor throughout the book. Plus the moments we see the city and that kind of skyline that is a complete and utter wow moment for me. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling. For me the colour seals the deal here. Whether it’s the lights of a vehicle or office building to this alien landscape, mind you anything that has yet to be seen is an alien landscape, what we see just provides that mood, tone and feel of what we see perfectly.
Seriously folks please heed my advice and find this book for yourself. It is a sensational, cerebrally smart and intelligent read wrapped up in these gorgeous pages that provide a complete experience.