The best horror stories are based in a believable reality. Allowing the reader to become immersed in a situation, even if it is one they have never found themselves in, that human connection is what draws you in before the scares come.
Written by Cristofer EmgårdCover by Tomás Aira
Illustrated & Colored by Tomás Aira
Lettered by Mauro Mantella
When a military helicopter crashes, killing its pilot and stranding a squad behind enemy lines, tension and terror builds as the soldiers make their way through the wilderness.
“The Whispering Dark” #1 is something new, cut from a very old cloth. It is something that we haven’t gotten out of horror comics in quite some time: a great slow burn introduction. Too many horror comics try to introduce characters, the world they inhabit, and throw whatever the the source of the scares is all at once; cramming way too much information and ultimately failing to let us settle in. Thankfully this comic does not do that. It does not attempt to set everything up and give us that instant gratification that all too often has become the norm in recent years, in medium of all kinds. What we do get is a thoughtfully planned character piece that gives readers a chance to understand the people we are following and get enough details about their world to begin to piece together exactly what we need to know at that instant. The narrative flows nicely, getting all the information we need at the moment while expecting plenty more to come in future issues.
The reader is stranded just as much as the characters are. The story follows Chief Warrant Officer Hannah Vance and her squad as they try to survive in unknown territory. Getting only a brief glimpse into her life before joining the military, we get a good look at her personality through an inner narration that serves as both backstory and how she is coping with matters at hand. Her narration, interwoven with character dialogue is exceptionally balanced and gives the book a nice cinematic tone. She is an every-woman, a normal and relate-able protagonist. She is not a comic book hero leading a group of super soldiers. She questions her actions, never wanting a command, but due to the terrible circumstances they find themselves in, she is forced into a leadership role. Danger is all around them, exposure to the elements, enemies forces nearby and even a possible nuclear attack make their journey to safety make for a terrifying read. There is a sense of foreboding right from the start.
Cristofer Emgard does a great job with crafting a story that is believable and realistic all while making it known that something worse is to come, without ever spelling it out. Tensions run high based on real-world situations, and yet, something is gnawing at us from the pit of our stomach. Something just beyond the veil. It isn’t until the end of the issue that there is even a hint of a possible supernatural element, and even then how can we be sure we can trust what the characters are seeing is real and not the product of an exhausted and terrified mind? More than once this comic reminded me of the works of Lovecraft or Algernon Blackwood with a modern day spin. Like those authors, Emgard shows us the cards he wants us to see; allowing us to believe we know everything we need to, but in reality we are only just beginning to understand. We are only as omniscient as he is allowing for. Like a monster waiting in the shadows to strike, we know that whatever horrible thing is on the horizon, whether natural or supernatural, it will cause terror and destruction to wreak havoc on these characters.
Aira’s panels are great. He draws real, diverse people. We are not given a group of perfect looking soldiers, or unrealistic caricatures that are barely passable as realistic. They look like every day people from all walks of life, just as they should. Giving plenty of detail to their uniforms and all of the every day objects, he gives this book a truth that works without attempting the burden of delivering us photo-realistic illustrations.
Continued belowHis color work is excellent and serves as a key element to making this a standout issue. If it weren’t for Emgard’s wonderfully balanced dialogue, his colors would be the the main thing carrying this book. The way he changes the palette to reflect a mood or setting goes a long way. A subtle change makes a difference in capturing a sorrowful conversation or blasts of anger, or the hell on Earth moment of a nuclear blast. His shadows are black and inky. This adds a great depth and texture to every page. The most unrealistic parts are the flashback sequences, everything is brightly colored and synthetic, which is definitely a deliberate choice. It made me distrust those moments, like it was nothing but dreams of Vance’s past life, rather than actual memories. But I guess we will have to wait and see about that.
I won’t say that this is the type of comic that is going to change the face of horror, because it isn’t. We have seen similar ideas and plots many times, but this is the beginning of a slow burn terror tale done right. This is a very well-written and nicely drawn comic. It isn’t overly flashy and it is paced perfectly. Having to wait to learn what horror lies ahead is going to be the worst part of reading this miniseries.
Final Verdict: 8.5, A callback to classic horror, “The Whispering Dark” relies more on real world horrors and inner turmoil than things that go bump in the night to evoke a true feeling of terror.
