Once again, the spoiler free too long; didn’t read of this review is go and buy By The Horns #6 because it’s freaking awesome.

One of the harder things to do in comics is a silent issue, because if the artist isn’t quite able to tell the story without the words to guide the reader then the comic can often fall flat. And so it was with some trepidation that I began reading this (actually I had to open a second version of the pdf to make sure that there wasn’t dialogue missing), because not only are silent issues tough to do right, but I also tend to enjoy one out of every five I’ve ever read. As you’ve probably guessed, By The Horns #6 is a silent issue (minus a couple of thought bubbles and some time-establishing text). I needn’t have worried, because Jason Muhr is a naturally gifted visual story teller.

Muhr’s artistic talents, along with colourist Andrei Tabacaru, brilliantly capture the emotions of Markisan Naso‘s script in such a way that you feel more like you’re watching people exist, live and breath on the other side of a window than you’re reading a comic. I’m not going to say that this is the best silent issue I’ve ever read, but I can’t think of any that are as good as this one (and I thought about it for a good few minutes). You don’t need words to experience the ups and downs in this comic as we follow Shintaro, Elodie’s husband, as he meets both Sajen and Elodie for the first time. We also get a more detailed look at what happened to Shintaro, making By The Horns #6 effectively the origin point of the series as a whole.

The story builds upon the previous issue’s cliffhanger, and while the flashback nature doesn’t push the plot forward per-se, it does ramp up the emotional tension and connection the reader has for the characters – which for me at least has the effect of investing me more in the story than I already was. And that’s a hell of an achievement for any comic , let alone a silent comic. I can’t wait for the next issue.

Story: Markisan Naso Art/Lettering: Jason Muhr Colors: Andrei Tabacaru
Story: 9.7 Art: 10 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy

Scout Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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Purchase: Scout Comics – TFAW