Posted in: Comics, Image, Review | Tagged: andrea sorrentino, dave stewart, gideon falls, horror, image comics, jeff lemire, Mystery

Gideon Falls #5 Review: Upping the Intensity but Keeping the Pace Slow

Father Fred and Sheriff Miller are attacked by a crazed Joe Reddy. He stabs Fred's hand and runs off into the night. Miller and Fred find Joe's wife bleeding out on the ground before long. They find some things on the trail that lead them back to Doc Sutton. Meanwhile, Norton is trying to comfort Dr. Xu. She is terrified of the Black Barn, and, in the name of investigation, hypnotizes Norton so that he can dig back into his own past.

Gideon Falls #5 finds things worsening in the small town as Miller and Fred just try to keep what's left of the peace. The story is ramping up its intensity slowly; the comic has been a slow boil thus far. However, it seems that Jeff Lemire is gradually kicking up the tension.

We learn more about these characters' histories, particularly Sheriff Miller and Norton. They telegraph an upcoming twist that won't be all that surprising now consequently, but that's not too big an issue.

The mystery of the Black Barn is still appreciably creepy, and that helps the story quite a bit. The story, despite the ramping tension, is starting to fell a little slow. An overall sense of dread, along with the engaging characters, keep the book from even nearing the dull territory.

Andrea Sorrentino's artwork is still eerie and ominous, giving the world a feeling of detailed grounding yet cold disconnect. The creative paneling, framing, and background detail go a long way towards fleshing out this world and the strange and unnerving aspects within. Dave Stewart contributes subtle color shades contrasted by deep reds that add further to the ominous atmosphere of the book.

Gideon Falls #5 ramps up the tension while the pacing remains slow. That's not inherently bad, but the narrative is starting to drag a little. The main saving graces are the mystery of the Black Barn, the characters, and how creepy it all feels. I can still recommend this comic despite the slowness. Feel free to check it out.

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