Image Comics 2021
Written by Ed Brisson
Illustrated & Lettered by Michael Walsh
Coloured by Michael Walsh & Toni Marie Griffin
After a home invasion goes bad, the mysterious coin helps its new owners outrun the law. But it's leading them down a path much darker.
Alright so I’ve already said I love this series and that the coin is the only link between each issue is what makes this such a brilliant book. That and the fact that as far anthology series go this is a new format we’re seeing that I wholeheartedly support. This issue takes the idea a step further and it isn’t so much about the coin wrecking havoc on the one who wished for something and more about the coin itself. It is a refreshing and terrifying change of pace and what Ed does with this story is chilling to the bone and makes you wonder about the coin’s origin and now current possessor. So far of the three issues that have come out this one has indeed creeped me out the most and that I can say this, as a horror film aficionado, with confidence is really saying something about the story.
I really am enjoying the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development is bloody brilliant thanks to how we see the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter and how it fleshes them out as real life hooligans. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we find ourselves screaming at the pages, like when you holler at someone NOT to go into the basement, you know you’ve hit pay dirt.
I have to say that I am mightily impressed with the way we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge, grow and strengthen with each turn of the page. The bits of characterisation some of which work with the main arc and others that just swirl around it manage to add more depth and complexity to the story than you expect to see in such a short amount of space. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is expertly achieved.
The interiors here are completely and utterly gorgeous! The linework is great and it gives us this elevated comic book style that could easily represent a storyboard for a film. How the varying weights and techniques that we see being able to create the detail work, especially in the faces and facial expressions, is extremely nice to see. The mood, tone and feel that’s created here oozes darkness and creepiness and it seeps into how the reader sees the story beautifully. While we don’t see backgrounds as prevalent as I’d like it doesn’t matter because its all about the composition within the panels bringing us depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. Plus how we see the snow falling and the sense of movement is mindbogglingly brilliant work. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is equally as brilliant and how the darkness is seen through the various hues and tones being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is so impressive. Also the fire is one hell of a wow moment and it’s like looking at a train wreck that you cannot turn away from.
With moments of sheer terror to a dark sense of humour that makes you chuckle despite the circumstances this is so well written and illustrated that even in ninety degree weather you’ll get the chills.