Malevolents: “Click Click” (Comic)
David Gelmini
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Written by Thom Burgess
Illustrated by Joe Becci
At the start of Malevolents: ‘Click Click’, a bunch of friends gather in a Westminster apartment building that looks so damn creepy that even those who were hit hardest by the London housing crisis probably wouldn’t live there if they were paid to. They tell the story of Billy, a teenager who decided to accept a bet to spend the night in a room supposedly haunted by a tongues ghost known for making clicking sounds. Oh, and Billy also takes a Ouija Board with him. What could possibly go wrong?
The first thing that becomes apparent when reading Malevolents: ‘Click Click’ is that the amount of panels and text on each page is kept to a minimum. And believe me, after years of reading comics from major publishers who have become known for cramming in as much shit per page as is humanly possible, this can only be seen as a blessing. Speech is also presented in the simple format of words and arrows, so as to avoid the use of huge white balloons obstructing the artwork. Presentation-wise, everything is kept minimalist and unobtrusive, and man is it effective.
The same can be said of the artwork, which manages to deliver the scares whilst also retaining an air of simplicity. B&W comics are so often overlooked these days because I guess they don’t fit into what people perceive as being the mainstream, and that’s a damn shame, because here we have proof is proof that less is more.
One area where the book does falter is characterization. It gets its story told efficiently, albeit without really giving us much of a chance to flesh out its players, so to speak. We know that Billy works part time in his dad’s record store, which means he must be into music, I guess. We don’t learn much about him or any of the other characters, but hey, what do you expect with only 32 pages?
But with that rather brief length, writer/creator Thom Burgess and illustrator Joe Becci created a horror story that you sure ain’t gonna forget anytime soon. I also think it’s safe to say that after reading Malevolents: ‘Click Click’, even the most mundane clicking sounds will chill you to the bone.
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Comic
Categorized:Reviews
