Written by Kurtis Wiebe
Illustrated by Riley RossmoA riveting tale of loss and horror. In the forgotten town of Green Wake, a string of grisly mutilations leads Morley Mack on the trail of a young woman named Ariel, who is the prime suspect. But when a stranger with startling connections to Ariel arrives under mysterious circumstances, Morley unravels a dark plot with a shocking link to his past.
Green Wake #1 hits comic stands this week and Multiversity Comics has an advanced review for you!
Green Wake is written by Kurtis Wiebe (The Intrepids) with pencils from Riley Rossmo (Proof: Endangered). It’s a murder mystery that takes place in a city where no one knows quite how he or she arrived there. To say there is some dark mystery in this title would be an understatement.
Does the book keep Image’s recent new book hit list going strong? Or is it a bust that ends the streak? Check out the rest of our review after the jump to find out.
Green Wake starts with the mysteries from page one. The first three pages lay the foundation for the tone and what is to come, and I feel may they end up being some of the more important pages of the issue as this series moves forward. With these three pages the creators lay out some controlled confusion as the reader is left wondering what has happened and what it all means. It’s the kind of confusion that leaves the reader chomping at the bit to know where this is going.
After the initial pages, the story quickly unfolds into a murder mystery involving a suspect that has left a bloody trail in her wake on the way to Babylon. Babylon is surrounded in just as many mysteries as the rest of the title, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Following this bloody trail are two detectives, Morley and Krieger. While Morley is a rather average looking man, Kreiger is more deformed and I can’t help but feel that he looks like the frogs shown during the first three pages. Whether this observation is correct or not, it still is one of those aspects of this book that makes it quite a bit of fun.
Wiebe continues to show, as he did with The Intrepids, that he can present a new title to fans in the first issue by establishing a solid foundation that makes the book interesting and instantly developed. Leaving this book, a reader should easily see what’s in store for them moving forward while still leaving enough questions to keep the reader coming back, knowing that there’s surely more than what’s been shown.
Rossmo’s art here is about as dreary as it can get, and I mean that in the best interpretation of the word. The art gives the city of Green Wake a bleak feeling that has both a noir and horror vibe all in one outstanding stroke. Rossmo’s art here is scratchy and chaotic, but like the story it is refined and shows a clear concept of the feel for Green Wake. The consistency of the art keeps the reader locked into the story and helps to add momentum to the mysteries presented.
Green Wake is yet anther notch in the belt of Image as they continue to give readers interesting and unique concepts. This issue is sure to sell out like recent Image books The Intrepids and Li’l Depressed Boy, so buy it before it sells out at your shop. My recommendation is to buy Green Wake if you like horror, mystery or good comics in general.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy It!
