Writer: Jeff LemireÂ
Illustrations and Colors: Dustin NguyenÂ
Letters: Steve WandsÂ
Cover: Dustin NguyenÂ
Publisher: Image Comics
Summary:Â
Crowbound opens and closes with the death of the main character, Rose. As she sinks in a body of water after having suffered a mortal wound, her life flashes before her eyes.
She lives in and works at The Factory with her daughter Ava. Outside the unscalable concrete walls is a terror-inducing entity called “the eater” that is a constant threat. Inside is a dank and harsh environment lacking warmth and freedom.
One day, Ava is kidnapped, and Rose goes on a valiant mission to find her, despite terrible danger to herself.
A guard kills Rose before she can get to Ava. As Rose descends into an ethereal void, her consciousness somehow remains, entangled with her memories of the past, and she meets a strange creature that seems to have plans for her.
Thoughts:
Dustin Nguyen’s art is lovely.
His art preserves the raw energy of its initial sketches. Nguyen conveys complex emotions and facial expressions with very few lines. His gestures are painterly, and each page has an intentional composition that flows nicely from panel to panel. The soft and delicate watercolours both enhance and juxtapose the dystopian reality Rose exists in.
This isn’t just a typical dystopian future story. There are a couple of otherworldly and supernatural elements. The “eater” lurking beyond the Factory walls is still a mystery, as is the hauntingly beautiful creature that awaits Rose.
The Factory’s walls are a wonderful allusion to the Borg from Star Trek. While Nguyen’s art is distinctly his own, I appreciate the similarities to the harshness of the Borg reality – people who were once free are enslaved and become nothing more than drones for a hive. Â
Lemire and Nguyen are well suited as writer and artist. Lemire effortlessly introduces a whole new cast of characters in this first issue without becoming exposition-heavy, and Nguyen’s art guides you through the intense dystopia like a spoonful of sugar for your medicine. Â
I’m looking forward to seeing how this team navigates this dark supernatural new story.
Overall: 9/10
K.L.Murphy has BA in English, writes and reviews comics, and habitually pets cats. Comics are all unique and each one represents an enormous amount of thought and effort. Murphy reviews comics based on a variety of factors, but focuses on the artwork, storytelling, and pacing.
