I had high hopes for Miskatonic #1 being published by AfterShock. The idea of a series of bombings revolving around the classic world created by H.P. Lovecraft is an idea that sounds full of possibilities as far as direction. And while a lot of the first issue works, a lot falls flat too in a narrative that feels a bit too choppy and not enough build-up and explanation.
Written by Mark Sable, the story revolves around Miranda Keller an F.B.I. agent sent on assignment to investigate bombings targeting the elites of Miskatonic Valley. The bombings are similar to those that happened during the Red Scare of the 1920s making them interesting to J. Edgar Hoover who believes they’re connected to that. We quickly learn that they have more to do with the occult and something going on in the area.
That concept is fantastic. It blends the occult with a typical FBI crime-fighting story. The issue is, the comic leans too heavily into the occult territory forgetting its more grounded launch point.
Miranda just accepts the story of frogmen and devil worship and doesn’t seem to have the reaction one would expect. Early on in the comic, she talks of a more “scientific bureau”. It’s a tip that she might be the Scully to her partner Tom’s Mulder. One is driven by science while the other has seen some shit. It’s a standard partnership we’ve seen many times but Miranda never quite delivers the shock of what she’s experiencing and seeing.
Part of my issue with the comic is its lack of teasing. There’s little build-up in the narrative or the visual and things ramp up quickly. By the end of the first issue, it feels like we’ve had two issues worth of twists and reveals with little depth as to the who, what, or why. Giorgio Pontrelli delivers some of the teasing in art but we never really get the surprise when it comes to the art. There’s a lack of visual tension that might have helped the choppy narrative. The color by Pippa Bowland doesn’t quite nail things down either. While a sickly green permeates a lot of the comic, it’s almost fluorescent at times delivering a brighter hue to what should be a darker, more melancholy comic.
Miskatonic #1 isn’t a bad debut but it also never quite excites. It feels like it rushes through the first issue never building tension. There’s little build-up and instead, things spiral quickly. But, that spiral also never elicits excitement or fear from its main characters. The emotional aspect isn’t there. We’ll see where it all goes but this is a mystery that isn’t worth exploring or solving right now.
Story: Mark Sable Art: Giorgio Pontrelli
Color: Pippa Bowland Letterer: Thomas Mauer
Story: 5.0 Art: 6.0 Overall: 5.0 Recommendation: Pass
AfterShock provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
