Story: Andres Salazar
Art: Andres Salazar & José Luiz Pescador
What They Say:
Disappearances keep occurring in the port town of Pariah, Missouri. First, the formal marshal of the town, Cody, disappears without a trace. Then two local boys end up missing. Hiram (Hy) Buchanan takes it upon himself to assemble a cast of outcasts to take on this pursuit. As the team delves further into the events transpiring, ominous signs point towards something beyond human means.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Some of the more reoccurring genres that comes up in times is the supernatural and western genres. So when so Andres Salazar and José Luiz Pescador came to create Pariah, Missouri some skepticism is warranted. The combination seems a bit out of reach for some and too played out for others. However the combination of Salazar and Pescador brings an interesting twist to the Western genre in a solid and appreciable format.
Salazar throughout the novel traverses us through these mysteries in a slow but deliberate pace. As each panel helps to dig deeper into the mystery presented, more the universe of Pariah starts to come into focus and more questions about what makes this town so special arises. The assembling of the characters feels focused and direct as you see how Jean, Nellie and Toro come in, contribute to the unraveling and resolving of the mystery and contribute to the overall feel of the books. While there is a lack of initial characterization, Salazar puts just enough context to get by for all of the characters. What does not lack, on the other hand, is a strong writing style that Salazar displays.
Salazar’s writing style comes out in full force when reading Pariah. The articulation of the characters as well as the linguistic mesh that contextualize is the historical aspects of the genre comes out in full force. The bigger aspects come from written dialogue. Reading and listening to the conversations between the locals, you get a sense of appreciation for dialects and the mannerisms which draws you further into the world. Even the small things such as Jean being harassed by some of the locals gives you a sense of the times the world that they live in and keeps a sense of historical reality grounded in Pariah. Though some may not appreciate said dialects integrated into the text and others may find it difficult to read the vast majority of readers they will appreciate what the author is trying to convey by writing this way.
The art style and choices really express itself throughout Pariah Missouri. With the art style that Pescador chose, the expression of the characters as well as the intent of the entire series becomes imminent with the first few pages. Salazar’s choice to use watercolors really speaks out to the tone of the story. While the colors may seem mute to some in some of the earlier pages, the intent is made to show the contrast and the effect of color when introduced. The mystery surrounding the area or even something that may seem trivial to others that really plays a good part stands out when Salazar opts for a more colorful pallet. A sense of importance to the atmosphere, the characters, variety of scenery, as well as the detail are nearly impeccable personifies the art style and direction.
In Summary:
Salazar and Pescador or are off to a very great start with Pariah, Missouri. While the pacing may seem a bit off to some, you will appreciate the time they told to set up this world because it makes the volume more enjoyable. Certain details will turn off others from this work. However, for those who are willing to take a chance and be more open-minded about comics and about what Salazar and Pescador are trying to accomplish, they will really enjoy what they’re about to bring in into Pariah’s world. Pariah, Missouri offers a good window and opportunity to jump into the work that has an interesting world worth exploring with Hy and gang as this duo continues the series.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Andres Salazar & José Luiz Pescador
Release Date: September 3, 2014
