City of Lost Souls – Volume 1 (Comic)
Written by James McCulloch
Illustrated by Janine Van Moosel
Published by Comichaus
Disturbing. Nihilistic. Demented. Brutal. Cruel… these are just a few words that will spring to mind as soon as you’re introduced to the opening panels of City of Lost Souls, an uncompromising tale of terror from rising talents James McCulloch and Janine Van Moosel. However, it’s also a rich body of work steeped in mythology, forbidden wonder and complex storytelling – and as it proceeds, chances are you’ll find yourself rooting for its reprehensible protagonist.
Set in the spiritual underbelly of Edinburgh, Scotland, the story centres around Matt Jordan, an unpredictable serial killer who, after leaving his twelfth and final victim to die, gets in the tub with a razor blade and kills himself thinking that will be the end of his journey. Not quite.
Upon arriving in the afterlife, Matt is met with Soku, a Soul Catcher who lets him go because her immortality is boring and the dead need entertainment. Therefore, she tasks him with finding the mythical City of Lost Souls, which has never been found. And as if finding a city that might not even exist isn’t going to be hard enough, he must evade demonic hunters and the vengeful spirits of those he murdered who are out to get him and exact eternal damnation upon him. However, with the aid of a dwarf named Ki, Matt embarks on his dangerous quest to find the city – and maybe even some redemption along the way.
The most impressive aspect of City of Lost Souls is its mythology. The story takes you on a fascinating journey through a unique interpretation of the afterlife. But even in death the killing doesn’t stop, as Matt finds that old habits die hard, only now we find out more about his reasoning for slaughtering people. And the most disturbing part about it is you can actually understand why he does it. For a vicious serial killer he has a code of ethics at the end of the day, and you might even respect him for it.
The series is also imbued with pitch black comedy, as the exchanges between Matt and Ki make for some laugh out loud moments. Just when proceedings start to get really grim, it’ll hit you with a line of dialogue that feels like the punchline to a really sick joke. It’s a cocktail of moods and emotions; while, on one hand, it’s despite nihilistic, mean spirited, full of gallows humour and gratuitously violent, there’s a sympathetic heart beating underneath it all. Basically, City of Lost Souls will really fuck with your head – in a good way.
The art is a haunting marvel, with black and white panels which give it a noir feeling. Noir aesthetic has always worked a treat in horror comics, but here it pays off dividends as it feels like you’re viewing the world through the eyes of the killer; a world where everything is black and white, which dictates his motivation for murdering helpless saps. Everything about this – from the writing to the visuals – just complements each other so well.
Overall, City of Lost Souls is a triumph of a series. It’s horror at its purest, but it excels beyond packing a visceral punch as the story is steeped in original, engaging mythology and characters you’ll actually enjoy spending time with, even just to see what dastardly deeds they get up to next. There’s a lot going on here, and even though it’s not for the faint of heart, it’s most definitely rich in imagination. It’s a story where the violence has a warped sense of purpose, and you’ll want to read it over and over again.
You can pick up City of Lost Souls Volume 1 HERE and stay updated on Facebook.
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Comic
Categorized:Reviews
