Zachariah Thorn is a creator owned, self published digital comic that’s available for free download at Indigo Comics. Billed as a macabre horror/mystery comic that features an occult superhero. Ten years ago Zachariah Thorn inadvertently re‐awoke the forces of darkness in our realm, but he also discovered that he is the descendant of an ancient and powerful dark mystic, and so Zachariah took it upon himself to banish the evil he has summoned to our world. Zachariah Thorn #1 takes place ten years after those events, forgoing the origin story in favour of a more mature, and confident, lead character.

And it’s a technique that works.

The opening scene is told very minimally in an almost dreamlike sequence that does more to bring you into the mind of Zach than an overly explained introduction. Scott Reichert‘s lack of spoon feeding was actually something I really appreciated – the comic doesn’t hand you an outline to the story, it requires you to pay attention to the artwork that’s both strong and yet very soft, thanks to the colouring work of Robert Reichert (in case you’re wondering, no the last name isn’t a coincidence; Scott and Robert are brothers) that flows from the superbly named Bonkz Seriosa. Artistically, this is a very well laid out comic; there is some solid line work here, and some very interesting panel layouts to look forward too as well. Of course, a nice looking comic can fall flat if the story isn’t worth reading, but thankfully Scott Reichert frames a compelling tale here.

Zachariah Thorn #1 is the first issue in what Indigo Comics and creator Scott Reichert hope to be an ongoing series; and honestly, I hope it is. As dark as the subject matter has the potential of being, there are some subtle funny moments here, and the fact that Eli may (or may not) be an intelligent zombie had me enjoying every word that he said. The story itself reminded me of one part of Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files mixed with a dash of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and one part something else that I won’t say for fear of giving too much away. Suffice to say that this is a very enjoyable comic, and it’s well worth you heading over to Indigo Comics website to download the free pdf.

Indigo Comics, the publishing company was actually started by the Reichert brothers, will be publishing the remainder of the series for free as well. But even if this were a comic you’d have to pay for, it is still one you should read. This is a fun comic that tells us to “expect thrills, scares, and maybe even a few laughs,” and if the first issue is anything to go by, this is a series you should be reading.

Story: Scott Reichert Art: Bonkz Seriosa Colours: Robert Reichert
Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Download (it would be a Buy if it wasn’t free)

Also posted on Ramblings Of A Comics Fan