Pages and Panels

Released earlier this summer, The Dark Room from Image Comics is a fantastically crafted story of cursed treasure hunting, evil, and the intersection of the quest for peace and power. It blends together the mythical and the mysterious with just the touch of sarcastic humor I live for.

Writer Gerry Duggan‘s script is full of the kind of quick-witted humor that seeps into his characterization. He finds a way to flesh out the cast of characters, making them feel real and maintain that gentle level of disbelief that enables readers to embrace their fantastical elements.

Doune Mahony has the kind of gruff no-nonsense edge without slipping into the city noir deceive trope. Instead, she channels vibes of “Indiana Jones meets Ed and Lorraine Warren”. Walt and Aaron, Doune’s skeleton best friend and werewolf ex-boyfriend, are so entertaining, their lack of page time is one of the big drawbacks of the book. The pacing of this graphic novel is just a tad too quick for my liking, mostly because of the wonderful characters Duggan has written and the fun visuals of Scott Buoncristiano and Tamra Bonvillain‘s colors. I wanted more of all of it. Not because the story was in need of some kind of additional development or subplot, but because I wanted to know more about the characters’ fascinating world.

This graphic novel is certainly worth the pick-up. I have a feeling that Duggan, Bunocristiano, and Bonvillain’s cast of characters will be back for more misadventures in the future. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if getting a copy of their first OGN will prove to be very difficult as Doune, Walt, and Aaron’s fanbase grows.