|
SPOOKED original graphic novel
Highly Recommended (9/10)
|
Oni Press
Writer: Antony Johnston
Artist: Ross Campbell
Editor: James Lucas Jones
Price: $14.95 US/$22.95 CAN |
The first thing I read from Antony Johnston, the novella Frightening Curves, was a horror/conspiracy set in London, and I loved it. So Spooked is sort of a return to his roots for me, as this story is all about a magical conspiracy and how it intersects with a burgeoning artist who can also talk to ghosts. Johnston has a pretty wide cast here, but he really only needs one, and that's Emily Spook, the lead character whose cynical nature instantly endeared me to her, and whose design, courtesy of Ross Campbell, is spellbinding. In fact, much as I love Johnston's writing, the big selling point of Spooked for me is Ross Campbell, who first got my attention with his work on Hopeless Savages and who does a bang-up job here.
Spooked as a story seems to have themes exploring group dynamics versus the loner aesthetic. Much of the plot revolves around the complicated plots of a magician's coven and another group that opposes them, but just as much of the story is about Emily Spook opening herself up to friends and lovers. In fact, it's not until the story has gone on for a while that you really see how closed off Emily is, how she's let her unusual gift (or curse) keep her from really opening up to her friend Jaram, or how her relationship even with someone in her own head keeps them at a distance. It's sort of amazing that Emily treats having ghosts in her head in a relatively blase fashion, but it's less about her ability to handle and more about her ability to pretend nothing is wrong.
Spooked is a horror story, including murders and ghosts and magical forces from beyond, but it's not really a "boo, scare ya" type of story. There are definitely some creepy moments, including kidnappings, possessions and pretty brutal murders, and the bad guys are definitely of the scary as hell variety as well, but this more of a creeping psychological horror tale. As the murders pile up, there's a sense of a ticking clock, and while Emily certainly comes off as perfectly capable and hard to shock, it slowly becomes clear as well that she might be in over her head. Johnston and Campbell could have been a little clearer about the nature of the threat, and in fact the agendas at work, but it all does sort itself out pretty well at the end.
While the story of murder, ghosts (or angels) and magical conspiracies is certainly fascinating, however, what really draws me to this tale is seeing the growth of Emily Spook. Her interaction with Simon is a terrific relationship which evolves nicely over the course of the graphic novel. At the beginning, she seems like the weary expert telling the confused newbie how things are, but as things develop, their relationship changes, with Simon bringing a little more of a sense of wonder to Emily's life, and at the same time bringing a more mature, stabilizing influence as well. The relationship feels like that between an older brother and a sister, and I found the resolution of their relationship completely satisfying. The relationship between Emily and Jaram is a little more sketchy, without as much story room devoted to it, but Johnston puts in enough time to give us the feel of an old and long friendship, and makes the payoff of that relationship feel right and notable as well.
In fact, while I'm a fan of Ross Campbell's artwork in general, if I had to single out one thing that I thought he did really well in this graphic novel, it's his work on the lead character. Emily Spook's pierced face, weary eyes and mussed but deliberately styled hair tells a lot about her character, and beyond that, it's just a beautiful design. Campbell also puts a lot of realistic detail into her clothes and apartment, such that she feels completely realized, with an idiosyncratic style and manner of living that is just as engaging as her world-weary personality. While Emily is my favorite aspect of his artwork on this graphic novel, though, Campbell does a terrific job throughout, with amazingly expressive characters, a realistic and shadowy take on the London setting and some impressive shock scenes, such as the site of another brutal murder or the dark room where the conspiracy plots against Simon and Emily.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
