Review: Animosity #20

Animosity #20, written by Marguerite Bennett, art provided by Elton Thomasi, continues where #19 left off ”“ our heroes Sandor and Jesse are following a rooster into the woods. This line can seem bizarre, but in a world where animals speak, and there is terror abound, when a rooster asks for your help, you follow.

From the start we see a world of vivid colours, rich blues and purples, with the panels stretching across like roots, emphasising both the forest itself, and the feel of uncertainty felt by the protagonists. The paneling becomes stable once more when they find themselves at a house, but the vibrancy doesn“t end, as snakes of every hue slither from the woodwork. Its clear that research was done into snake breeds, as each snake is subtly different from the last ”“ not just in colour, but in shape and design. We are treated to two double page spreads within this comic, both showcasing the house, inside, and out. The establishing shot of the house, in particular, shows a great attention to detail, with little accents, such as a wind chime made of crystals, or the individual cracks in the windows of the home.

The different speech bubbles used for the different animals are masterfully done. Instead of the rooster crowing mid-sentence, his speech bubbles are jagged, his words short, allowing your mind to fill in the blanks that this rooster“s voice is as sharp as his crowing would be. This is shown again with the snakes ”“ there are no elongated s“s here, as we are accustomed to with talking snakes. Instead, their whispery voices are shown with unsteady and incomplete speech bubbles, this subtle visual providing your mind with all it needs to imagine how these snakes sound.

Volume #20 of Animosity has its twists and turns, and the presence of snakes in such numbers can lead to a sense of unease, as they are so often associated with evil and deception and death. It goes from haunting to ephemeral without losing its beauty and intrigue, with an ending that is simply stunning, in both the visuals and narrative.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Marguerite Bennett (A) Elton Thomasi (CA) Rafael De Latorre

*Included at the end is a preview of another of Aftershock“s comic, Orphan Age #1.