Set after the Great War, the book follows the recently hired crew of the SS Vagabond as they search the Atlantic for the spoils of war hidden in a sunken U-boat. But at the bottom of the ocean, all that glitters is definitely not gold. With the lure of a fortune though, comes the all too familiar human foibles of greed and all the attached negativity.
Writer Rich Douek first crossed my reviews with the Kickstarter Wailing Blade. From there, Douek had a huge success with Road of Bones, a historical horror. Therefore, it makes a certain amount of sense to revisit other aspects of history in which to foment a torment of terror. For a first issue, there is enough going on to touch most horror tropes. This is important as there are four issues in which to get the setup, the scare and then the solution all wrapped up. The environments are scary, whether it is the relative safety of the boat with the discord amongst the crew notwithstanding, or the the dark blackness and (almost) loneliness of the bottom of the ocean, where sharks, the bends and monsters dwell. Douek certainly has his horror touches on show with which he engages the reader; this is a great talent when you consider that I am not a huge horror fan to start with.
Along for ride is artist Alex Cormack, Douek’s co-contributor from Road of Bones. Cormack gives the book a style that reminds me of the end of the first act from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There is a darkness to the book that isn’t just relegated to the bottom of the ocean. That darkness permeates throughout all the characters and drives their actions. The lines of the art also hold the style of the era well, giving the book a sense historical validity that adds the reading experience. Panels are used well, driving the reader through the issue. The colors, mainly black on nearly black are on show with flashes of color that feel unable to shake the darkness. Letters are provided by Justin Birch, another Road of Bones alumni, who does well considering the amount of setup that is required for a first issue.
Given my aforementioned lack of interest in horror books, I was pleasantly surprised to get caught in the swirl of this first issue. The ability of the creative team working together is on show with enough script and dialogue to direct the art which shows enough to warrant the need of less lettering, thus nothing distracts the reader from the whole experience.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Overall – 4.5 Stars
Written by; Rich Douek
Art by; Alex Cormack
Letters by; Justin Birch
Published by; IDW Publishing
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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