Statix Press/Titan Comics 2017
Written by Christophe Bec
Illustrated by Stefano Raffaele
Coloured by Christian Favrelle
Translated by Mark McKenzie-Ray
LT. Wilson Jericho thinks he knows everything there is to know about what lies beneath. But scientist Sandra Yeatman is determined to discover the truth behind the urban legends – and prove that something monstrous will soon crawl out and rip the city apart.
This is a great story and I love that it kind of takes all our fears and rolls them into this conceivable scenario. After all urban legends like alligators and crocodiles in the New York Sewer system have been around for ages. The result of flushing babies down the toilet I mean we’ve all heard them. In this instance Egyptian Giant Solpugid’s or Camel Spiders are somehow the invasive series that have infested the sewers here. Not only that but through some mishap they are growing to a size never seen or heard of before.
Left unchecked the infestation that already permeates the sewers could endanger the city aboveground as well. The spiders are already eating the populace that calls the sewers home, those disenfranchised with life on the surface, it’s rules, policies and whatnot, so once that food supply runs out and feeding all the growing babies will require a new food source. It all sounds pretty cut and dry right but life, life has a way of throwing you curve balls when you least expect them and that is when the real horror begins.
The way that Christophe tells this story is extraordinarily good. I mean the way he can create tension, showcase the horror and bring the politics of the city above through these pages is rather impressive. The way the book is structured is so well done that the ebb & flow of the story has the right effect on the reader. From the moment you think you know what’s going to happen then something else occurs instead well it’s all done in ways that could you make squirm in your seat. Plus he is also able to bring some strong characterisation to the characters through dialogue and their actions.
I am a big fan of the interior artwork here. I love the linework and the intricate details that come to life on the page. It’s not just that either it is also the fact that Stefano is able to use the imagery to create further aspects of the story than just what’s in front of us. The gross out factor here is off the charts at times and can make your body do that wiggle thing and that is some powerful stuff. The way that page layouts are used and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stellar eye for storytelling. Plus I love that Christian’s colours are subtle and soft so that it doesn’t take away from the linework only serving to enhance it.
I like the personal relationships and camaraderie that we see happening here. I know that Jericho never wanted to be a part of the Sewer Police and would rather be topside again and yet throughout the story you see how his people trust him, follow him and rely upon him to not only survive, well those that do, but to actually eradicate the sewers of this infestation. He seems to become the kind of man and leader that he never knew he could be and that kind of character growth happening in the midst of this horror show scenario well that’s just talented writing. So do they succeed to have a happy ending well you’ll have to read this to fine out but I will say the ending is great and hopefully means there is another arc coming!
This is a beautifully crafted and executed story that goes beyond the horror genre and into something much more. This is why I think we need to see more European comics in American shoppes.