Posted in: Comics, Image, Review | Tagged: andrea sorrentino, dave stewart, gideon falls, image comics, jeff lemire
Gideon Falls #2 Review: Esoteric, Perplexing, yet Compelling and Gorgeous
Norton continues his efforts to convince his psychiatrist, Dr. Xu, that his gathering of seeming junk is for a grander purpose. He even reveals the existence of the Black Barn to Xu. Meanwhile, in Gideon Falls, Father Quinn is detained as a person of interest after the murder of Tremblay. He reaches out for help from his bishop, but that proves to be a probable dead end.
The esoteric storytelling of Gideon Falls becomes more focused as this issue follows the more linear story of Norton and Quinn. They are seeming to be our primary protagonists, though Dr. Xu in the city and Sheriff Clara in Gideon Falls seem like possible main characters from here on out.
There is more talk of the Black Barn, but we still don't know what it is or what it represents. We don't know how Quinn or Norton see it, where it is, or when it is. We only know that Quinn saw it, and Norton is collecting its pieces.
Despite the continued obfuscation of this part of the plot, Gideon Falls continues to be a compelling read. Norton and Quinn are flawed protagonists with engaging personalities and interesting stories. The mystery of the Black Barn is enticing, and I'm left wanting to know more about it.
It's funny. I'm not sure what to even call the genre of Gideon Falls. Mystery seems like a decent start, but there's definitely more to it. Is it sci-fi? Is it fantasy? Mystic? Occult? Horror? I look forward to finding that one out too.
Andrea Sorrentino's artwork is damn gorgeous, and it continues to dazzle me with every page. The world is textured and cold. Paneling and set-dressing is played with well. The Black Barn is undoubtedly unnerving whenever it is shown to the reader. Dave Stewart plays off this with cold and off-beat color art that makes the world all the more alienating yet enticing.
Gideon Falls #2 is another perplexing yet grabbing issue of the Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino series. This super team of creators are putting together something special here, even if it is playing coy with the plot. This one gets another recommendation. Check it out.