Its that time of the year again when I’ll be looking to immerse myself in the best horror that the book shelves have to offer, and of course the Indies the best places to look when it comes to mind stretching stories. Its been a good long while since I“ve been excited to read a comic by Vault Comics, but the addition of a horror story promised by Plot’s covers drew me in. Second to that, there is a very short list of writers that I have faith in to pull this off, and one of them is Michael Moreci (Roche Limit, Burning Fields, and Curse).
In Plot #1 we meet the surviving members of the Blaine family, as they try to moving into the historical family home, right after a terrible tragedy. So far the story infers that such tragedies are generational for the family and the manner in which it happens is nothing new. So the possibilities of terror surrounding the family should make it intriguing going forward. But even so the experiences laid out for each person may be unreliable because the head of the family is no-account alcoholic, the others are children, and apparently the whole Blaine family has a genetic disposition for mental illness though which one is currently not explained.
I have noticed a trend in stories released the last couple of years to involve aunts/uncles that end up caring for their niece or nephew, usually because the child is orphaned after the death of the parents. But this is not a harlequin romance novel,  Plot #1 targets some of my anxietal thoughts that was very personal for me; Slow mental deterioration; and as a parent dying leaving your kids orphaned.
The dialogue is a little wonky at times, and can be off putting and I wonder if it was intentional. The other nit pick that I have is the introduction of the Sheriff. It feels like it was meant introduce how much of a piece of crap the Uncle is, but that was already effectively done in previous panels.
That being said, Plot #1 is more of a show don’t tell issue. The start the incredibly detailed pencils by Josh Hixson, looks to pull you in. His craftsmanship is on display through the use of intense strokes, and eerie lightning was ideal for this story. Even from the first panel, this dull yet brilliantly rendered scene is nevertheless a foreshadowing look at the awfulness that Blaine Family will encounter once inside.
Best Piece of Dialogue:” I’m kinda getting tired of walking around with Mom and Dad in my pocket”.
Best Panel: It’s a tie, in between the very first panel that introduces us to the house and shows us how large and deep it is, and one of the last panels that shows you whats inside one of the bogs outside the house.
Covers: Plot #1 will come with (3) covers; Cover A Regular Joshua Hixson Cover; Cover B Variant Nathan Gooden & Tim Daniel Vault Vintage Cover; Cover C Variant Tim Daniel Cover
SCORE: 3/5
Writer(s): Michael Moreci Tim Daniel
Artist(s): Josh Hixson
Published: Vault Comics
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