Henry has certainly been through the wringer. As he learns more about the Fearscape, he becomes more reliant on his Muse. Yet with her murder last issue, Henry is now at the mercy of the fears of the Fearscape and his own fears of authenticity, the latter he hides with hyperbole and rhetoric, that seemingly seeks to offer little clarity of purpose hidden within the psalms of confusion.
Ryan O’Sullivan has certainly planned an elaborate tale, with further twists and turns that may well leave you a little whip-lashed. That’s not to say it’s not an enjoyable read; it most definitely is. In Henry, O’Sullivan has a character who possess all the frailties of ego that you or I may enjoy (?). Henry may well feel that he has been slighted by everyone who could maybe help him, but having made his choice to impersonate the storyteller, he is facing the scary realisation that those who criticised him could have been right. Way outside his comfort zone he is facing the repeating of past mistakes. O’Sullivan’s dialogue hints at characters who know more about what is going on than they are letting on; though the narrators monologue can seem a tad pretentious at times, the combination makes this a hard jumping on point for new readers.
Andrea Mutti’s art is as splendid as in previous issues. Here, the familiarity of the Fearscape is challenged with the characters that are now on show. I especially love the Hero of a Thousand Faces who reminds me of the Man-E-Face character from He-Man, if he had a Mother Box for a head. The sketchy line work adds to the idea that we are between worlds, and at times, gives the impression that Henry isn’t quite all there; an idea that is also floated in the monologues especially given that Henry, a writer who is used to working on others works, may have no storytelling ability of his own. The painted styled colors by Vladimir Popov adds to the unsettling nature of the Fearscape. Andworld Design provides the lettering with some great design work across the range of characters.
If I had one complaint about Vault Comics it would be that unless you get into the book at the ground floor, you may find yourself a bit lost as you pick up separate issues, a problem that also faces These Savage Shores, which may work for trade paperback sales. Still, that is a publishing problem and one that needn’t worry O’Sullivan, Mutti and company as they continue their trek through the fears of Henry and quite possibly our fears also.
Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
IN Shopes:Â In Shops: Feb 13, 2019
NOV182081
Written by; Ryan O’Sullivan
Art by; Andrea Mutti
Colors by; Vladimir Popov
Letters by; Andworld Design
Published by; Vault Comics
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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