Silent Hill: Downpour – Anne’s Story is not something I expected to like. Spin-off comics have trouble keeping up with the thing they are spinning off, and most of the time they end up as advertising that you pay for. That being said, I really dig this spin off.
The thing that got me hooked was the grisly, almost child-like art. The lines were scribbly, the colors washed out, and grey was everywhere; the whole experience played well into the content of what I was reading, and confusion and horror gripped the characters and the reader alike. I adored the style of the art, and it alone stood out as the shining light in an otherwise bland fog.
Like most number ones, the book is teasing at a bigger world of a bigger story, and, honestly, I kind of want to play the video game to give this book context. I get that this might be a story for fans of the series already, but this book isn’t really winning any new readers over. Moreover, the story tries to be edgy by throwing a few rather grim details at us all at once , but ends up seeming a bit trite.
Minor spoiler: Scary, undead children stopped being scary after the 15th movie in 4 years to feature them.
I have played several Silent Hill games, so I was able to piece together some semblance of what was going on. For someone who has never been introduced to Silent Hill, the book will be hopelessly confusing, and that is unfortunate.
That being said, I applaud the book for not doing the introductory mess that many number ones are, where everything is spelled out, and the book feels more like a #0 rather than a #1. That being said, some context, even a small shelling out of exposition, would have grounded me enough to feel the rug being pulled from underneath me.
Basically, it boils down to this: if you have played any Silent Hill games or want to spend a little time on the Silent Hill wiki, you can enjoy the book to the fullest extent. If you are chronically lazy, like this reviewer, you might struggle with being confused, but depending on your attitude that might enhance this book. I personally welcomed the disjointed pace and story, as it fit with the whole of the Silent Hill genre.
If you are already a fan, buy it. Otherwise, pass.
