It wasn’t long ago that I discovered Dan Watters’ name when I read Home Sick Pilots. What started out as one story became the most dizzying comic book reading experience I had had in some time. It was genuinely unpredictable, absolutely tremendous, and completely punk. I cheered a little inside when I saw his name on The Seasons Have Teeth.
First off, it’s good to have a killer title. Is it a metaphor? Is it hyperbole? Am I entering into some adventure into nature where someone is going to be stranded and have to survive? After having read the first issue, in the best possible way, I can say: I don’t know! It could be all of those things; it could be none of them.
The protagonist thus far is a silver-haired photojournalist who has recently experienced a loss and presumably is left to his own devices, though he does not start the story sitting still. Spring is coming, and while the city evacuates, he has stayed behind, putting himself at risk. To what end is the big mystery of the first issue. I will say only that what happens feels mythological in nature, almost pagan. And I love it!
A lot of this first issue (and the clues to what the series could be about) is told through how the images are colored by Dan Jackson. Very specific choices are made: Andrew, our photojournalist, lives in grey tones; Spring is vibrant with colors; three boys are first in grey tone and then move into color. It’s almost like the characters are living in a lifeless shadow.
Sebastián Cabrol is the artist and co-creator here, and I really like how he tells the story. It’s very detailed work and yet it feels simple and straightforward. He fills the world in with all the necessary cracks and blades of grass to make everything feel real, but never draws attention away from the importance of the image. He’s a skilled craftsman, bringing this first issue to life in a really grounded way. If things get as crazy as Home Sick Pilots – which there’s the promise that it may – I’m looking forward to seeing how he and Jackson take us on that journey.
I really dig the design work here, too. So, kudos to Marie Krupina for making sure this book is brought to vibrant life on every page!
Creative Team: Dan Watters (writer), Sebastián Cabrol (artist), Dan Jackson (colors), Nate Piekos of Blambot (letters), Marie Krupina (design and logo), Shantel LaRocque (editor), Eric Harburn (executive editor)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
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