Hallows Fell Comic Review – Definitely Worth a Read
David Gelmini
|
Written by Thom Burgess
Illustrated by Izzy Stanic
Foreword by Corin Hardy
I decided long ago that I will never, ever marry. My reasons are far too numerous to list here, but one of them is that there’s just something incredibly morbid and draconian about being bonded for life to someone whom you’re probably not even sure you truly love. I don’t know Thom Burgess’ marital status, but I’m also pretty sure he also sees the concept of marriage for the outdated social construct it truly is. At least, that’s the impression I got from Hallows Fell, the latest in his series of black and white ghost comics.
There’s an old English legend about a hag who killed a young boy she caught trespassing on her land. Too bad for her, the boy happened to be the son of the village elder, who swiftly has the hag and her home burned to the ground in an act of retribution. The spirit of the deceased hag then demands that every single year the villagers present her with a groom… or suffer the consequences.
Anyway, our protagonist, Simon, is on his way to an outdoor wedding in the middle of nowhere; and yeah, you can probably see where this is going. In terms of plot, Hallows Fell was pretty predictable, but it made up for that with one hell of an unforgettable ending. I won’t spoil it here, but let’s just say that Simon had better have meant his wedding vows when he said them.
Like most of Burgess’ stories, Hallows Fell is set in the British countryside, which is swiftly disappearing to make room for towns and cities as our population spirals out of proportion. Further reason never to get married or start a family. As anyone who’s ever lived in the UK will tell you, our countryside can be beautiful by day and terrifying by night, something which illustrator Izzy Stanic clearly understands very well. The book’s main interior art was drawn in the style of freehand sketches, but with a stunning level of detail that you won’t find in many other black and white comics.
If rural ghost stores are your thing, Hallows Fell is definitively worth a read.
-
Comic
Categorized:Reviews
