REDLANDS #1 ADVANCED REVIEW
Summary: Murder, magic and mayhem, Redlands has it all!
5
A thrilling introduction!
Murder, magic and mayhem, Redlands has it all! A dynasty has come to an end, but what will rise in its place?
The story begins in the town of Redlands, Florida. There is panic in the air, as the local Sheriff and his men barricade themselves inside the county police station, hiding from the fire and mayhem outside. From the looks of things, they are involved in what looks like an ongoing war, and we are coming in at the very last throes of this conflict, as these men look tired and battle weary. We soon discover that they are fighting a coven of killer witches, hell-bent on annihilating them all and turning them into dust. Things intensify when an unexpected visitor infiltrates their base, unleashing hell and mayhem on these unsuspecting men. Chaos shall reign in more shapes than one, as illusions trick and deceive, luring men into making decisions they’ll quickly regret.
Holy heck, what an intense and chilling introduction to this new series! I loved the thrilling, fast-pace that the narrative jumped straight into, hurtling us into an exciting stand-off between two sides that blur the lines between what is good and bad. Jordie Bellaire does a fantastic job at quickly establishing the ominous and uneasy tone that drives the narrative forward, creating a strong sense of fear and apprehension. I really like how we are made to question who are the bad guys in this situation, as there is a lot of ambiguity surrounding this, as we begin this story at the end of an ongoing battle between two opposing sides. We don’t actually see a lot of these witches, but from what I did see it looks like there are three of them. I find that interesting, as throughout history, witches tend to come in threes. Coming to find are The Fates, the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and various others that are echoed throughout Norse, Roman and Greek mythology. This is deeply symbolic for a number of reasons and I’m looking forward to seeing if Bellaire will expand on this, exploring it in future issues.
Vanesa R. Del Rey provides the dark and gritty illustrations for this story. Her art has a wonderful sketchy quality about it, reflected in her edgy linework and heavy shading. Del Rey perfectly captures the intense brutality of this issue, framing everything in a nervous and troubled energy. This is a dark and moody story, and I find that Del Rey captures this the best in her detailed facials, that reflect each character’s passions and emotions in an expressive way. Jordie Bellaire not only writes but provides the colours for this issue, which heighten the intense emotional tone of the story. Everything is bathed in a deep, red light, which reflects the glow of the burning tree outside of the police station. These warm tones, create a wonderful sense of light, that is menacing and feels like it’s heralding some sort of doom, or is symbolises a sinister omen of what awaits these men.
Redlands #1 is everything I hoped and more. From the very first page, I was hooked. I was immersed in a world of brutality, murder and dark magic. I’m looking forward to discovering more about these mysterious witches, and why they’ve decided to take over Redlands with such ruthless force. This is a story that will appeal to those who love a good horror story with a mysterious and uncertain path, that delivers equal amounts of adrenaline and moody atmosphere. I’m excited to see how this story will unfold and I can’t wait until the next issue comes out.
I’m giving this issue 5 out of 5 stars!
COMIC DETAILS
CREATIVE TEAM: Jordie Bellaire, Vanesa R. Del Rey and Clayton Cowles
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PUBLICATION DATE: August 09, 2017
REVIEWER: Dana Folkard
About the Author
Dana Folkard An absolute nerd with a passion for all things sci-fi! Lover of comics, coffee and Geralt of Rivia. Mother of Dragons!
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