As a life long fan of all things horror, it seemed right to come up with a mini-column for the month of October, leading up to Halloween, with some of my personal favorites from the world of horror comics. I want to discuss the works through all of their components – the writing, the art, the ideas and themes; to interrogate what makes this particular comic book series or graphic novel a standout in the horror genre. I really want to delve into titles that maybe haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve, or simply have had some years out of the spotlight. First up, from 2012, is Scott Snyder & Scott Tuft’s “Severed”, published by Image Comics. Some Spoilers Ahead
Cover by Attila FutakiWritten by Scott Snyder & Scott Tuft
Illustrated by Attila Futaki
Colored by Attila Futaki & Greg Guilhaumond
Co-Inked by Bill Nelson
Lettered by FonografiksIt is 1956 and an elderly man named Jack Garron is at home with his wife and grandson when a mysterious envelope ends up in Jack’s hands with a message from his past. This is the first instance of a harrowing chill in the air that takes Jack, and us, back in time to when he was just a boy, and came face to face with something beyond evil and beyond his imagination.
It is 1916 and Jack is preparing to go to prep school, his first time away from his mother, and the first time he will be able to show off his skill as a violinist. While still learning the instrument, Jack is a bit of a prodigy, and he believes that whether in school or working as a traveling musician he will make a living from it. Jack has a bug in him, an urge to travel the country via freight train just like the many hobos are doing at this time in America’s past. While Jack jokes with his mother about hitting the road to make it big, this idea is more than just a seedling growing in his mind. There is a full plan forming and Jack slips out of his bedroom window and onto a train in the middle of the night.
The reason Jack has decided to flee from his current situation is that he recently learned, by an accidental discovery, is that he is adopted. Though she loves him as her own, the person he always knew as his mother is just a woman who took him in. His birth mother died bringing him into this world, and his father left him at an orphanage. He has now contacted his father through letters, and with some frequent correspondence over the last year, Jack has decided to meet him and further his violin tutelage with dear old dad, a supposedly somewhat famous player himself.
As Jack makes his away across the country he encounters many ups and downs that anyone in his situation would face. Men looking to hurt and exploit him, potential friends trying to achieve similar goals, and eventually gaining the knowledge that not everything will go as planned. All of these experiences will pale in comparison when he comes across an evil so heinous and unrelenting that no amount of imagination or foresight could have prepared the young boy for the peril that lays before him.
“Severed” deals with a lot in its seven issue run. Just with the brief synopsis above, I’ve barely scratched the surface with what this book holds in store. At the same time, it is a surprisingly simple story, for how much weight it carries. A major theme that is seen and felt throughout the entire story is ‘Expectation vs Reality.’ It is at the forefront of everything, from Jack’s expectations of meeting his father, to how his journey will go, to a close friend he makes along the way, and among other things: the monster that is in the shadows of every page.
The goal of this column is to get new readers to check out these books, so I won’t go into major spoilers, but some mild reveals will be discussed. Like most young people, Jack expects things to work out in his favor, more or less. While he knows it won’t exactly be easy to make his way from upstate New York to Chicago to meet his father, he figures he will get there one way or the other with little trouble. Almost immediately he finds himself in trouble with a railroad employee that finds him stowed away. He nearly loses his violin and all of his belongings, except for the clothes on his back, and he almost loses those, as well as almost getting raped by that man. Jack is so determined to get where he wants to be that these setbacks and real-life horrors barely register for him. In the moment he is shocked and terrified, but as soon as it’s over, he is ready to his the trail again.
Continued belowHe meets Sam, another young stowaway, who helps him get away from his attacker, and they continue to make their way to Chicago together. As the young pair make their way through the city, it is becoming clear that Jack’s father is either a liar and has no interest in actually meeting him, or something more bizarre is occurring. Sam is questions the entire situation and tries to talk sense into Jack without completely discouraging him. While anything is possible, Sam believes that Jack is currently incapable of thinking clearly and critically when it comes to meeting his father. Soon after, Jack and the reader learn a bit more about Sam. In all of these aspects, Jack’s expectation versus the reality that befalls him is key to how his story plays out. Whether he sees it for himself or not, nothing goes as planned. Just as things start to change for the better for Jack and Sam, a mysterious man steps into their path. This man, or thing that looks like a man is hungry. He feeds on dreams and talent, and he has set his sights and appetite on Jack.
“Severed” is a story that was many years in the making. Both Scotts have been friends since they were children, and the ideas that play out in this story are some that they’ve been discussing for most of those years. They would discuss the things that frightened them most, with the hopes of combining these themes into a singular story that they would either turn into a comic or a film one day. With Snyder going into the comic book industry, and Tuft becoming a filmmaker, it seemed like either outcome was possible. The dialogue is crafted in a way that evokes the era in which its set while allowing for the themes, and of equal importance, the terror to transcend time and get its inky black hooks into your heart. No matter who you are, Jack’s desperation to change his situation, meet his father, and become a known musician will speak to your empathy and have you looking at your own hopes and desires.
Early on in the book, you will know who to trust, and who the monsters are. However, even with your omnipresent knowledge, the horror is no less gut-wrenching. In fact, it makes it all the more terrible to endure. The characters and their small part of the world are fleshed out in such a way that you fully understand them, without ever needing endless exposition or deeper look into what makes them tick, or where they will end up in the future. Few stories can drop us into characters’s lives and have us feel as connected to them, and compelled to beg for their safety, but “Severed” works on all those fronts. You will feel the pain of various kinds of loss by the time you reach the final page. There is a moment in this book that is equally horrifying and upsetting, and it effects me in the same way every time I read it.
Just as the Scotts’s writing and own emotional connection to this story elevates it something more than your run-of-the-mill horror comic, the stunning art by Attila Futaki is another component that has me returning to this book nearly nine years after its release. His ability to capture the United States in the early 1900s is uncanny. His line work completely evokes the filthy landscape of this country when it was in its industrial infancy in the middle of the first World War. The characters designs really give us a sense of who these people are. While the kids are young, not quite teenagers, their faces hold the pain and difficulty of life at this time. And for a particular monster, he is able to give us both a character who is both seemingly an elderly man and an ageless, unstoppable evil. He manipulates textures to guide us in seeing these characters exactly how we are supposed to.
Futaki and Guilhamound share coloring duties no this book. Futaki tackles the first three chapters, with Guilhamound taking on the latter four. Sometimes a sharing of responsibility like this can simply come down to getting work done by a certain deadline, but it can also be used for creative purposes. Which one was the intent here I do not know, but I can say that it seems to be purposeful for the storytelling. Futaki’s chapters feel stark and cold. He gives us a dusty New York farm, snow covered roads of Illinois, and our first look at a wind-blown Chicago with the smells of sewage and slaughterhouses. The Guilhamound takes us through many settings, breathing new life into Futaki’s illustrations. Multi-colored skies at dusk & dawn, dark nights that would scare anyone back under the covers, and the humid southern swamps of Mississippi.
Continued belowNo matter how intentionally creepy, or undeniably beautiful and panel or page is, in any part of this book; it is this art team that allows it to stand on its own, all while letting us know that that darkness, that evil is still there, ready to pounce at any moment. There is violence throughout, and some gore, but nothing those who aren’t overly squeamish can’t get past. The truly disturbing and scary moments in this book are just as beautiful in their own way, as any of the gorgeous landscapes. Futaki’s style is what makes this book whole.
While “Severed” has mostly positive reviews across the board, some criticism of it is that it is too predictable and not very original in the scheme of all things horror. While I can step back from my fandom and understand why these judgments have been made, I can’t fully agree, nor fully condemn them. For the most part, yes, this story is somewhat predictable, especially if you are well versed in horror stories. And sure, maybe some its ideas and themes have been used and recycled in many horror novels and movies, but that can be said for so many other stories. It isn’t always the originality that is the most important, it is how these ideas and plots are used or re-created in a new way. That’s all any new stories are, fresh spins on timeless ideas. That is where “Severed” succeeds. It takes things you know and are afraid of and turns it into something new. It is a completely heartbreaking and horrifying story that I will always recommend to anyone looking for something new. If you are like me and pretty much know where it is going to lead from start to finish, that’s OK, because it makes the terror that more real. It makes you care all the more for Jack, Sam, and anyone else who crosses paths with the monster.
I hope this gets new readers to check out “Severed” or inspires some old fans to revisit it. As soon as I sat down to re-read it for this write-up I was drawn in and read it in one sitting without looking up once.
What do you think of this story? We’d love to hear from fans and non-fans alike with your thoughts.
“Severed” is available in its original seven issue run, a trade paperback, and a deluxe hardcover edition that includes sketchbook pages, a covers gallery, and more bonuses.
