A great horror story it doesn’t hit the head, not right away. We feel the horror that arises somewhere between the stomach and chest. Then it slowly spreads until we feel tension in our shoulders and our legs are ready to run. Finally, it comes to the brain. As if our mind refuses to understand what scares us, but our curiosity eventually takes over. But when our mind finally finds the courage to understand, we are delighted. How did it happen to us after reading this review Walkthroughfirst volume The myth of the bone gardennew horror adventure from Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino With Dave Stewart to flowers.
This graphic novel published by Bao Publishingis separate story (like all those that make up this editorial universe), which combines a structurally simple plot, but with hidden meaning in every word of (very few) characters, in every expression. And it shows Sorrentino’s talent create images of extraordinary power: thanks to his compositional abilities, he even manages to scare us with a cinematic effect.
We will try to avoid spoilers by telling you about it. But if you want to play it safe, then we’ll tell you right away: if you are intrigued Horror films A24 (Solstice, The Witch and especially The Lighthouse) and you adore the ability of comics to use drawing to punch you right in the stomach, this is the graphic novel you need to read. Perhaps alone at home in the evening when it is raining outside.
Our review of Passage.
Bao has already given us a free taste of the new world of comics during Free Comic Book Day. Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentinowho are getting back together after the launch of Gideon Falls and Primordial. The myth of the bone garden. This prologue is not directly related to the story of the “Transition”. But both stories show a horror that manages to be both visceral and artificial, cold, cruel and existential.
The novel begins with what appears to be a nightmare, vague and terrifying. But then it brings us back to the reality of the story, with the main character John Reida Canadian geologist who arrives on a bare island, if not for the lighthouse he manages Pssister Mr. sailor which led him to this rock.
Thus, Lemire and Sorrentino immediately trace the elements that we must explore in order to understand history. A mixture of fantastic, psychological and terribly real and human horror. All about three characters that become four when we enter the mind of John Reed, who he is experiencing an episode from his childhood as if it were forever. And on Lighthouse Island. Which has a huge hole.
Few characters, few words
Before discovering John’s traumatic past, we only know that he is a geologist and that he needs to analyze the anomaly. A round and very deep hole that Sal says he found one morning.
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John uses modern methods, including a drone, to explore this seemingly bottomless crater. The curiosity about this puzzle and the fast pace of the story just make us realize that Lemire is laying out the few pieces we need to solve the puzzle in full view. From the “classic” elements of this horror genre – Sal’s loneliness and strange relationship, lack of signal on John’s smartphone – before small words and gestures which help us better understand the complexity of the two characters. However, he always remains in the shadows, like a deep hole in the middle of the earth.
Lemire manages to use natural and simple language, never sounding corny, revealing a bit of mystery with every word. But what took us by surprise was how quickly the plot develops. Perhaps because of the atmosphere of the A24 or the fact that the lighthouse reminded us of The Lighthouse by Robert Eggers, we thought we would see relationship between John and Sal develops and deteriorates gradually, between fabulousness and horror, as for Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in the film.
Instead of the cheapness of the story increases the emotional impact of the story. The authors play with sentences, not with long-winded symbolism, with unsaid words more than with dialogues, with the coldness of characters more than with expressiveness. A story that seems to perfectly balance the modern taste of horror with the horror of the great classic authors.
Ideal direction: in frames, in rhythm, even in lettering
If, after several rereads, we were able to fully enjoy the detached and at the same time brutal nature of this story, acting to capture the details hidden in the sparse dialogues, thenthanks to images, he made us read a graphic novel in one go for the first time.
The authors have taken care of every detail to immerse us in this story. Dave Stewart Colorswhich colors each scene with a bluish tint to bring out the most vivid colors of memories, and a terrible red that colors some of the strongest pages, outlines a clear and confident style.
Sorrentino’s directorial management is perfect on every page. Not only is he very good at using boxes of various shapes and arrangements to move from detail to big shots with a bang-on ‘montage’. But he knows very well how to control the pace and get attention make us wince at the right moment, as if we were on an island with a lighthouse and a deep hole instead of a sofa. Use shadows, expressions, images of sleep. He uses a huge amount of images to make us feel the story even when we are struggling to follow it rationally.
Technical skill reaches even the inscription in the original Steve Wands, which blends noises with the environment and with the characters, creating an almost multi-sensory experience. He impressed us in every detail.
After the prologue and after the “Crossover” we may not yet fully understand where the “Myth of the Garden of Bones” is taking us. But we have confirmation: Lemir and Sorrentino are a creative couple who are in full command of their art. And he wants to use it to terrorize us in the most delicious way.
If you love this genre, you will read the Passage in one breath, so that you are hurt, to feel the horror that takes you by the throat. Then, a second time, slowly enjoy each directorial and storyline choice. And again for the third time to understand how I recommend it to everyone without spoiling anyone.
From the fourth we don’t know at some point we should have written it this review: find The Passage on the Bao Publishing website.
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