Ram V tells really interesting stories. Tales that are oddly human, yet live at the edges of the fantastical. This story, in its infancy, is about a man (who may not be exactly a man) that is giant of size, who has an affinity for cuisine, and is seeking out a young man who is a once filmmaker to do a job for him. You get the feeling that the cuisine he enjoys might not be exactly what we think of as cuisine, because there are two generally odd people tracking down our foodie… to cut his eyes out before he can do something nefarious. How these two stories begin to blossom is absolutely worth indulging in, because Ram V brings everything to life so joyfully. He’s playing here, playing with his audience.
Filipe Andrade worked with Ram V on The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, another story that embraced this particular playfulness in a story about death and the death of Death. Filipe’s work is peculiar, and yet truly spectacular, in a way that, perhaps, reminds me a bit of Dave McKean. Andrade works with a wide range of colors to bring the streets of this Indian location to life, working in shades of pastel, finding a particular juxtaposition in deep purples and crimson reds.
Speaking of Dave McKean, Rare Flavours, much like Laila Starr, is very easily a story that could exist somewhere in the world of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. These tales somehow exist beyond the borders of the panels, drawing inspiration from greater mythologies and putting a temporal twist on them, giving a shelf life to immortality, putting the unknown mysteries of life into the palm of our hands – making it all relatable.
You’re doing yourself a favor by reading this series.
I simply love the design of the cover and the logo work – an excellent job by Marie Krupina. And there are some wonderful lettering touches from Andworld. If you don’t notice it, they’re doing their jobs very well.
Creative Team: Ram V (writer), Filipe Andrade (illustrator), Andworld Design (letterer), Marie Krupina (design and logo), Assistant Editor (Maya Bollinger), Eric Harburn (editor)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
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