Eyrie, The (Comic)
David Gelmini
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Written by Thom Burgess
Illustrated by Barney Bodoano
Indie comic creator Thom Burgess delivers yet another winner with his quick read spookfest, which was hauntingly illustrated by Barney Bodoano.
Rebecca is a photographer on a location scout assignment in rural Sussex. Unfortunately for her, she decides to go messing with the property belonging to her local hotel, which also happens to be the haunting place of a notorious group of smugglers known as the Longmen. And needless to say, they’re none too happy when she takes their precious lamp.
As with the majority of Burgess’ work, the entire book is in black and white, without a single drop of color. Kind of strange then, that the protagonist of the story is a photographer looking for new locations to shoot. Someone whose life revolves around capturing images and colours. The lack of color in the comic means we never truly see the world as she does, although I kind of got the impression that her world is one of such misery and pain that everything probably does look black and white to her in a way. She’s trapped in an abusive relationship with her boss, who may or may not be her boyfriend. He undervalues both her work and her as a person, so it’s not exactly like Rebecca sees the bright side of life.
Another trademark of Burgess’ work is the complete lack of narration, with spoken dialogue also being kept to a minimum. This gives The Eyrie about as strong a cinematic feel as literature can come, as we feel like we are watching the story unfold rather than being told about it, placing it a cut above most other ghost comics on the market these days. That’s not to say that the book didn’t contain any expository dialogue, but at least it didn’t go overboard.
The main story clocks in at just 36 pages, making for a very brief yet memorable read. If you want something with longevity, you’re going to need to look elsewhere, but if you’re after a quick scare with some decent characterization and visuals packed into its short length, The Eyrie comes highly recommended.
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Comic
Categorized:Reviews
