Mysticism, mystery, and secrets abound in a small Latin American town in “The Twilight Children” #1. This Vertigo miniseries contains an ethereal and gorgeous aura through story and art that piques our interest and introduces us to a cast of characters that are sure to collide in future issues because of an explainable glowing orb.
Written by Gilbert Hernandez
Illustrated by Darwyn CookeFor the first time ever, legendary comics creators Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets) and Darwyn Cooke (DC: THE NEW FRONTIER) have joined forces for a surreal project unlike anything you’ve ever read before!
When a white orb washes up on the shore of a remote Latin American village, a group of children naturally poke at the strange object to see what it is. The orb explodes, leaving the children completely blind. And when a beautiful young woman who may be an alien is found wandering the seafront, she’s taken in by the townspeople, but soon becomes a person of interest to a quirky pair of undercover CIA agents, and the target of affection for a young scientist. Can they come together to prevent an all-out alien invasion and save the souls in this sleepy, seaside town?
Renowned creators come together with the first issue of their miniseries in “The Twilight Children” #1. Writer Gilbert Hernandez introduces us to a cast of characters in a simple, yet powerful way. Each individual, from three inquisitive children to a cheating wife, express basic human traits and their complexity. We understand them even if we wouldn’t willingly follow their example. Artist and letterer Darwyn Cooke and colorist Dave Stewart bring that complexity through body language, expressive glances, and a color palette that is both earthy and magical.
Magical realism is beautifully brought to this story by Hernandez, where something as fantastical and unexplainable as a bright shining orb can appear on a village’s shore where its people experience such powerful emotions that should be familiar in some way to every reader. The book’s time period is never discussed, which steeps the tale in yet an even more magically realistic way. The only hint of a chronological time are quick glimpses of a cell phone and a computer. Hernandez’ moral allegory could have taken place anytime and anywhere and still unearthed truth and power from the human experience.
Hernandez paces his story slowly, yet in a rich way. Even though he takes his time introducing the characters and only hinting at their lives, he reveals so much about them. Through vague, yet understandable words, he allows Cooke and Stewart work their magic in a visually stunning way. All three creators work in a tight knit way, with Hernandez jumping from a particular character or characters and interweaving their experiences. That’s what Hernandez does so magnificently in this first issue. He allows us to experience what each character goes through with them, whether it’s the intense guilt of a drunk or a supernatural physical interaction between children and the orb.
Although the pace may be deceptively slow, each panel is bubbling or exploding with visceral life because of Cooke’s art. An example of this can be seen in one simple heartbreaking panel between a husband and wife. While he hugs her, his eyes are closed with love while her one visible eye is open in abject agony. That eye, and many of her glances throughout the issue, is packed tightly with guilt and fright. Cooke is an expert at conveying emotions, whether simple or complex, through his distinct and uniquely smooth and animated (as in film) style. Although “clean” in presentation, his art can delve into deep and darkly psychological places. Cooke excavates the human soul through the physical, whether it’s through the eyes or subtly realistic body language.
The third legendary talent to contribute to the triumph that is “The Twilight Children” #1 is colorist Dave Stewart. The color palette, as mentioned above, has a rich earthiness that is whirling within a magical aura that contains unearthly events. The mixing of the antithetical is something that Stewart conducts with ease and subtlety. The opening splash page depicts the dark blue and black of night, with the white swirling hair of a mystery woman vividly standing out against the dark. She appears as if a phantom and gives the scene a touch of the supernatural. Another instance of magical realism within the colors comes in the bedroom of two lovers. While lounging in bed, they stare in shock as half of the white orb appears from the floor. The beige and white of the orb illuminates the standard room of a bachelor and invades it with effective confidence while it simply surveys its surroundings. Stewart, like Cooke, infuses his art with a sense that more is happening than what is simply seen at first glance.
“The Twilight Children” #1 is an intelligent and well-crafted issue. Hernandez, Cooke, and Stewart allow the reader to deduce for themselves what is going on in their story. There are many things to be inferred from what is said and unsaid in almost every page and panel. If the rest of the miniseries is as intricate as this issue, then there is potential for this tale to be a masterpiece.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – Each creator on this book is at peak form, with every aspect of it requiring close reading for maximum enjoyment and appreciation.
