Following the events of the Fearscape, Henry Henry has admitted his sins and as part of his therapy, has written his experiences up without restraint or editorial consequence. How does that affect the Fearscape? Well thats only one particular issue as Henry hates the idea of anything as unoriginal as a sequel. Conflicts abound then as his state of mind, the Fearscape, and the new muse’s interaction with the real world all coalesce into a seemingly passive aggressive form of self loathing.
For some, it might seem that writer/creator Ryan O’Sullivan is taking a bit of a risk with this book. Henry isn’t a likeable character; he wasn’t in the first series to be honest. The diatribe of the letter that makes up the first couple of pages is taking shots at the idea of sequels, of doing the same thing over. This idea could be seen as a pop at certain aspects of comic-dom, specifically the Big Two where regurgitated ideas flow; after all didn’t Batman #100 just hit the racks with yet another Batman Joker confrontation? Of course, the flip is that sometimes the next part of the story could be better than the original, take the Empire Strikes Back for example. Still, given that Henry’s main claim to fame is plagiarism, coupled with his blinded arrogance, you can see why he thinks that he is better than a walking a path already walked. O’Sullivan has to pull double, no, make that triple duty, with the real world, Fearscape and Henry all having their own distinct voices tones and central points of importance. Whilst you do not need to read Fearscape to get the story, reading it will give you a better understanding of the lead character.
The art for the book is provided by the returning Andrea Mutti who, like O’Sullivan, has to tread in very different waters. Real world aesthetics, battle with the other world of Fearscape. Starting with reality; the panels work well with characters framed well. There are some minor issues; faces sometimes lack details and a nipple does seem a little out of place. Still things heat up with the Fearscpae elements where a sort of historical/fantasy aspect takes over. Mutti’s art is well served by the fantastic colors of Vladimir Popov, who differentiates the worlds through the use of different schemes and methods; the Fearscape world has a painted look that adds to the mystique. Letterer AndWorld design continues the font from the previous series and manages to break things up with the use of coloured boxes. Finally, there are a range of covers to choose from. My personal favourite is the A cover by Ariela Kristantina
As fun as Fearscape was, I think this book has the potential to deliver even more enjoyment as O’Sullivan walks the line between satire, savage introspection of the state of creative writing and endeavours and fantasy storytelling.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
Cover (A) – 5 Stars
Overall -Â 5 Stars
Written by; Ryan O’Sullivan
Art by; Andrea Mutti
Colors by; Vladimir Popov
Letters by: AndWorld Design
Cuvers by; (A) Ariela Kristantina, (B) Nathan Gooden & (C) Rebekah Isaacs
Published by; Vault Comics
A Dark Interlude #1 is scheduled to be in shops November 11th.
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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