This week, Ghost Machine’s horror comic, Hyde Street, returns with its second issue. Any fans of serialized dark mysteries should pick up this series. Its eerie atmosphere is so thick that it’s almost a complete character unto itself and is reminiscent of some of the best issues of DC Vertigo books of the past, like The Sandman and Hellblazer.
Written by Geoff Johns, the titular setting, Hyde Street, has been meticulously crafted and filled with memorable characters. Ivan Reis, a frequent collaborator with Johns on Green Lantern, imbues the book with its distinctive feel through his artwork. Reis’ pencils, as always, meld beautifully with Johns’ script. This is one of comics’ best teams working at an exceptionally high level. The sinister character designs of the souls trapped on Hyde Street are striking and convey in subtle ways the essence of each character. One of my favorite scenes, mirrored on the cover, references a well-known Norman Rockwell painting that evokes nostalgia for the past. It’s an image that also evokes familiarity which makes it the perfect fit here. Reis takes an image of childhood innocence and classic Americana and inverts it. The conversation taking place in Reis’ homage is far from innocent. Of course, the art wouldn’t have the same punch without inker Danny Miki and colorist Brad Anderson. The shading and color work on the forest fire allow us to see that Pranky was never far from the demonic character he was to become on Hyde Street. I appreciate how each character seems to have a signature color for their paranormal powers, making it easy to follow whose powers are being invoked in each scene.
In the first issue, Johns centered on the story of the X-Ray Man who, like the other denizens of Hyde Street, has been caught up in a game by the scorekeeper. It is a game they can only win by condemning those human souls who might fall into Hyde Street and guiding them to an as-yet-unknown fate. If a resident of Hyde Street can tally 10,000 souls, they are given the choice to leave. In this second issue, we are given a bit of back story on the one resident who refuses to leave in spite of surpassing the 10,000 soul goal – Pranky.
First introduced as a impish, childlike figure, Pranky had a life prior to Hyde Street, of which we are shown glimpses through various vignettes. Though there is much revealed that makes Pranky feel more “human” to the reader, Johns still presents us with a character that is governed by rage. Feelings of pity for Pranky are quickly snuffed out by the horrible acts of violence the character commits, although this doesn’t mean Pranky is entirely devoid of any sort of compass or moral code. The souls he tends to prefer to condemn are those who have committed violence against children in particular, making Pranky a dark avenger. As in the first issue, these humans with the misfortune to find themselves on Hyde Street are far from innocent and are often contemptible evil people which leads the reader to question the nature of Hyde Street. The scorekeeper has drawn horrible beings to play his game, but one could argue they are put there to serve a certain primitive justice. And though we meet the scorekeeper in this issue, their motivations and goals remain a mystery.
Hyde Street certainly offers a different flavor of book for the Ghost Machine line. It’s a welcome addition for any horror enthusiast or any reader wanting to dig into a world filled with arcane mystery and sinister characters. Like The Sandman before it, the world of Hyde Street is a living entity that feels lived in with a deep history, one I hope to explore in future issues. Another Ghost Machine gem.
Creative Team: Geoff Johns (Writer), Ivan Reis (Artist and storyteller), Danny Miki (Inker), Brad Anderson (Colorist), and Rob Leigh (Letterer)
Publisher: Image Comics/Ghost Machine
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